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PSYCH 303 > Topic 7: Romanticism and Existentialism > Flashcards

Topic 7: Romanticism and Existentialism Flashcards

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1
Q

Enlightenment

A

a period during which Western philosophy embraced the belief that unbiased reason or the objective methods of science could reveal the principles governing the universe

once discovered, these principles could be used for the betterment of humankind

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2
Q

Romanticism

A

the philosophy that stresses the uniqueness of each person and that values irrationality much more than rationality

according to the romantic, people can and should trust their own natural impulses as guides for living

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3
Q

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

A

considered the father of modern romanticism, Rousseau believed that human nature is basically good and that the best society is one in which people subjugate their individual will to the general will

the best education occurs when education is individualized and when a student’s natural abilities and curiosity are recognized

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4
Q

Noble Savage

A

Rousseau’s term for a human not contaminated by society

such a person, he believed, would live in accordance with his or her true feelings, would not be selfish, and would not be selfish, and would live harmoniously with other humans

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5
Q

General Will

A

according to Rousseau, the innate tendency to live harmoniously with one’s fellow humans

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6
Q

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

A

believed that life is characterized by choices between opposing forces and that much about humans is forever beyond scientific understanding

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7
Q

Phenomenology

A

refers to Goethe’s assertion that meaningful whole experiences are the proper unit of analysis when studying human nature

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8
Q

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

A

believed that the will to survive is the most powerful human motive

life is characterized by a cycle of needs and need satisfaction, and need satisfaction simply postpones death

the most people can do is to minimize the irrational forces operating within them by sublimating or repressing those forces

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9
Q

Will to Survive

A

according to Nietzsche, the basic human need to become stronger, more complete, and more superior

while satisfying the will to power, a person continually becomes something other than he or she was

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10
Q

Existentialism

A

the philosophy that examines the meaning in life and stresses the freedom that humans have to choose their own destiny

like romanticism, existentialism stresses subjective experience and the uniqueness of each individual

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11
Q

Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

A

believed that religion had becomes too rational and mechanical

he believed that a relationship with God should be an intensely personal and a highly emotional experience, like a love affair

taking the existence of God on faith makes God a living truth for a person

thus, Kierkegaard contended that truth is subjectivity

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12
Q

Aesthetic Stage

A

according to Kierkegaard, the first stage in the growth toward full personal freedom

at this stage, the person delights in many experiences but does not exercise his or her freedom

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13
Q

Ethical Stage

A

according to Kierkegaard, the second stage in the growth toward full personal freedom

at this stage, the person makes ethical decisions but uses principles developed by others as a guide in making them

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14
Q

Religious Stage

A

according to Kierkegaard, the third stage in the growth toward full personal freedom

at this stage, the person recognizes his or her freedom and choose to enter into a personal relationship with God

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15
Q

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900)

A

claimed that humans could no longer rely on religious superstition or metaphysical speculation as guides for living

instead, they must determine life’s meaning for themselves

by exercising their will to power, people can continue to grow and overcome conventional morality

the term superman described those who experimented with life and feelings and engaged in continuous self-overcoming

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16
Q

Apollonian Aspect of Human Nature

A

according to Nietzsche, the part of us that seeks order, tranquility, and predictability

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17
Q

Dionysian Aspect of Human Nature

A

according to Nietzsche, the part of us that seeks chaos, adventure and passionate experiences

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18
Q

Perspectivism

A

Nietzsche’s contention that there are no universal truths, only individual perspectives

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19
Q

Conviction

A

according to Nietzsche, beliefs that are thought to correspond to some absolute truth, and, as such, as immutable and dangerous

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20
Q

Opinions

A

according to Nietzsche, beliefs that are tentative and modifiable in light of new information and, therefore, reasonable

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21
Q

Will to Power

A

according to Schopenhauer, the powerful need to perpetuate one’s life by satisfying one’s biological needs

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22
Q

Supermen

A

the name Nietzsche gave to those individuals who have the courage to rise above conventional morality and herd conformity and to follow their own inclinations instead

the German word Ubermensch can be translated as “overman”, “higherman”, or “superman”

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23
Q

What were the ideals of the Enlightenment?

A

emotions are important, reason is limited

ideas are rooted in something other than reason

there is no average person

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24
Q

What is romanticism?

A

we are governed by things that escape the bounds of reason

we are more than reason, our ideas and experiences

emphasized the irrational components of human nature

if we want to do psychology we have to study the whole person

we are not just studying their rational capacities

follow your feelings, follow your intuition

concern for authenticity

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25
Q

Who was Jean-Jacques Rousseau?

A

the Social Contract

lived a chaotic life

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26
Q

What was Rousseau’s views on feelings versus reason?

A

Rousseau emphasized feelings in contrast to reason as the important guiding force in human nature, the best guide for human conduct is a person’s honest feelings and inclinations

ought to have a government that can help people attain their fullest potential

feelings and inclinations rather than reason take our gut feelings seriously, very important

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27
Q

What was the Rousseau’s idea of the noble savage?

A

for Rousseau, humans are basically good, born good but are made bad by societal institutions

humans are, by nature, social animals who wished to live in harmony with other humans

born with a social sense, want to live in harmony

would act in a way that benefits ourselves and others, tend to live in harmony with others

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28
Q

What was Rousseau’s idea of the general will?

A

the general will is what is best within a community; not what is believed to be the best by a group of people, basis of what is good, just, and correct for society

should be sharply distinguished from an individual’s will

live in a society where everyone is forced to act within the general will

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29
Q

What was Rousseau’s view on education?

A

dehumanize people through education; we impose a sense of what you ought to do, not in accordance with our natural will, what we want to do

suggested that education should take advantage of natural impulses rather than distort them

educational institutions should create a situation in which a child’s natural abilities and interests can be nurtured

create circumstances in which natural impulses can be actualized

schools should work with the child

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30
Q

What was Goethe’s idea of Bildungsroman?

A

psychological and moral growth over time

Goethe viewed humans as being torn by the stresses and conflicts of life

life consisted of opposing forces, love and hate, life and death, good and evil

the goal of life should be to embrace these forces rather than deny or overcome them

embrace the tensions and struggle of what it means to be human

moving from raw material towards fulfillment

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31
Q

What was Goethe’s theory of colors?

A

Goethe made important advances in science, notably in anatomy, botany, and color theory

darkness is active ingredient in color

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32
Q

What was Goethe’s view on phenomenology?

A

insisted that intact, meaningful psychological experience should be the object of study, rather than meaningless isolated sensations

was an early phenomenologist

33
Q

What was Goethe’s view on evolution and plant biology?

A

one species could be gradually transformed into another species

outlines homologies between organs in plants

reflect transformation, shared ancestry

broad species development at macro level

34
Q

Who was Arthur Schopenhauer?

A

quite depressive and down on life

influenced by Eastern traditions (Buddhism)

35
Q

What was Schopenhauer’s idea of the will to survive?

A

equated Kant’s noumenal world (things in themselves in nature) with “will”, a blind force that which cannot be known

in humans, this force manifests itself in the will to survive; this will to survive causes an unending cycle of needs and need satisfaction

most human behavior is irrational

an unending series of pain due to unsatisfied need which causes us to act to satisfy the need, followed by a brief experience of satisfaction (pleasure) followed again by another need to be satisfied and on it goes

endless cycle of filling needs, the moving onto another; if we had everything we would be bored

36
Q

What was Schopenhauer’s idea regarding how intelligent beings suffer the most

A

felt that the intelligent being suffer the most

stated “almost all our sufferings spring from having to do with other people”

intelligent people seek solitude while the common people are gregarious

for the intelligent, solitude has two advantages; can be alone with his or her own thoughts, prevents needing to deal intellectually inferior people

37
Q

What were Schopenhauer’s views on sublimation and denial?

A

a way of looking at life is as the postponement of death

people do not cling to life because it is pleasant, rather, they cling to life because they fear death

sublimation: turning to art and philosophy, project repression into creating something, put attention into aesthetic experience to escape cycle of needs

denial: denying the needs, pursue intellectualism, void our minds, meditative state, become nothing so we aren’t driven by our needs

38
Q

What was Schopenhauer’s views on the unconscious mind?

A

wrote of positive and negative impulses, the unconscious, repression, and resistance before Freud

these are usually our prime motivators

39
Q

Who was Edward von Hartmann (1942-1906)?

A

could have been Freud

unconscious mind synthesizes will; instinct in action with purpose, can only be somewhat aware

physical; reflexes

psychic; mental things we aren’t aware of that motivates

absolute; underlying principal force that motivates all life

come up with constructive reasons for our actions; but may never know unconscious reason

40
Q

What is existentialism?

A

stressed the meaning of human existence, freedom of choice, and the uniqueness of each individual

the most important aspects of humans are their personal, subjective interpretations of life and the choices they make in light of those interpretations

not just about a fear of death

concern with not having lived to potential

we are free, choice to constrain ourselves or open up

our own experiences become a guide to how we live our lives and behave

41
Q

Who was Soren Kierkegaard?

A

tortured figure, mark on philosophy and humanistic psychology

distrustful of religion as an institution: more psychological or as a personal religion

42
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s view of the self?

A

the self is not something we are born with involves bringing together two factors: the infinite and the finite

43
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s view of the infinite and the finite?

A

saw humans as a synthesis of opposing tendencies

the most important of these opposing tendencies is that between the infinite and the finite

44
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s view of the infinite?

A

the expanding factor: our capacity to create new things, recognize possible selves

can lose yourself in infinite: never committing to anything or any identity, shifting movement between different positions that don’t reflect who one really is, can’t become a self because no commitment

45
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s view of the finite?

A

limiting factor: actuality, my reality as a person in the world at this moment

can lose yourself finite: can’t imagine any other possibilities, sometimes we become dependent on relationships, give up responsibility of determining who we are and rely on other to tell us what to do, become absorbed when everything is set in advance

46
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s anxiety and dread?

A

can’t look to others to determine identity

anxiety happens when we realize we are free to choose our lives, and we have to make these decisions alone with no other help

because we are free we are disoriented

not pathologically anxiety, existential anxiety –> stems from trying to become a self

fear of responsibility

ultimate freedom means ultimate responsibility

dread: can’t blame other people for our choices

47
Q

What were Kierkegaard’s views on despair?

A

despair is, for Kierkegaard, a sort of “sickness” stemming from a fundamental misunderstanding of who we are as humans

don’t become a self, anxiety is too much

give responsibility to who we are to other people

Kierkegaard identifies several forms of despair: unconscious despair, and conscious despair

48
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s idea of unconscious despair?

A

for Kierkegaard, despair may be unconscious in some people, and thereby may remain unacknowledged or unconfronted

people in despair may be happy, not aware of despair

worst situation; don’t realize there is a problem so they are unable to address it

49
Q

How did Kierkegaard define “the sensualist” in unconscious despair?

A

pure hedonist, live for the moment, inarticulate, happiness is based on external references, things outside them

50
Q

How did Kierkegaard define “the system-builder” in unconscious despair?

A

philosopher, developing abstract systems to escape their lives, avoid having to deal with ones life

51
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s idea of conscious despair?

A

conscious despair is, for Kierkegaard, better than unconscious despair as it is more immediate and pressing, and thus closer to being addressed and eradicated

despair of weakness and despair of defiance

52
Q

How did Kierkegaard define despair of weakness?

A

immediate man: identity is external, the activist, all conflict goes into a project and identity becomes wrapped in project, cause of despair is external and not from themselves, prevents them from introspection

cynic: recognizes weakness, put despair over despair, can’t experience anything else, perpetual victim

53
Q

How did Kierkegaard define despair of defiance?

A

demonic despair: recognizes weakness, but hardens, reveal in their own suffering, see it as an identity marker, everything becomes caught up in one’s own failures

54
Q

How did Kierkegaard define facts?

A

something we get from science, will not help us navigate to become the self, just help us live

55
Q

How did Kierkegaard define truth?

A

what we express, the commitments we make to others, act out our truths, one’s we live and experience

truth is always what a person believes privately and emotionally

truth cannot be taught logically, truth must be experienced

truth is subjectivity, your subjectivity

56
Q

What were Kierkegaard’s three spheres of existence?

A

reflect different ways of confronting despair

different modes of living to relieve despair

57
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the Mass-Man?

A

the Mass-Man lives their lives according to cultural conventions

apart of the herd, no better than a herd animal

give up responsibility of how to live

live lives as mimicries of other

“utter failures of human beings”

58
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the aesthetic sphere?

A

people are open to many types of experiences, and do not recognize their ability to choose

live on a hedonistic level; in terms of the pursuit of pleasure

choose not to make a commitment to one identity, don’t want to obscure freedom

looking for outlets, things that bring pleasure in animalistic ways

lead boring and eventful lives

stylize seeking pleasure

emptiness, not getting all the way there

still not cohesive to achieving the self

59
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the ethical sphere?

A

people accept responsibility for making choices but use as their guide ethical principles established by others

person recognizes they need to find an identity

self aware and socially aware

aware of norms but don’t blindly follow them

bring their own identity

participate in society in a way that matches who they are

usually good and successful people

makes ethical decisions

60
Q

What is the problem with people in the ethical sphere?

A

they are still not a self

because they live according to social norms, they could be stable but living in a society that is flawed and unstable

can’t shape personality on societal norms because you don’t know if they are good or bad

self is still dependent on social identities

rooted in finite things that could be taken away

61
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the religious sphere?

A

people recognize and accept their freedom and have a personal relationship with God; the nature of the relationship is personal

people at this stage see possibilities in life that usually run contrary to convention and tend to nonconformists

relate ourselves to transcendent source and become the self

when they enter the stage, they are mad at the world

62
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the knight of infinite resignation?

A

the knight of infinite resignation gives up all worldly things

become detached and indifferent to the finite

movement of infinity

makes a person immune to the loss of finite things

63
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the knight of faith?

A

the knight of faith engages in a double movement; movement of infinity and movement of finitude

are not operating on logic or reason; faith trumps reason

having ultimate faith that what you renounce will be regained in your life, hopes and dreams will be attained, look like everyone else

live in the world but are not dependent on it

64
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the leap of faith?

A

distinction between faith and reason

faith is a great risk because there cannot be any “objective certainty” in God’s existence

cannot come to faith through reason, cannot be taught

faith is rooted in uncertainty

faith is not an epistemological attainment

65
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s view on religion?

A

Kierkegaard was an outspoken critic of organized religion and believed the most meaningful relationship with God was one that was personal and not dictated by the church

institutions turned religion into a matter of reason

most Christians pray reflexively, no faith, just understanding they believe in something

66
Q

What was Kierkegaard’s view on God?

A

for Kierkegaard, an individual’s relationship with God is a love affair

the meaning of the word of God is not denotative but emotional

what the Bible means to you is what it means

67
Q

Who was Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche?

A

problematic in how his life influenced philosophy

68
Q

Who was Wilhelm Dilthey?

A

opposition to positivism, anti-positivist

against natural sciences being a frame for psych, said it misguided study

instead, study the individuals lived experience

historical consciousness at core of each person

focus on psych on individual consciousness

69
Q

What were the two aspects of life that Nietzsche proposed?

A

Apollonian aspect and Dionysian aspect

balance these aspects; avoid negatives on both sides

70
Q

What was Nietzsche’s idea of the Apollonian aspect of human nature?

A

rational side

desire for tranquility, predictability and orderliness

71
Q

What was Nietzsche’s idea of the Dionysian aspect of human nature?

A

irrational side

attraction to creative chaos and to passionate, dynamic, experiences

72
Q

How did Nietzsche’s views relate to psychology?

A

we are free, so we are capable of molding our personality in more or less optimal ways

he believed the Western philosophy had emphasized the intellect and minimized the human passions

result was lifeless rationalism

urged a fusion of the two aspects; not a totally irrational, passionate life but a life of reasonable passion

Dionysian impulses need to modified by Apollonian to be socially acceptable

73
Q

What was Nietzsche’s idea of the death of God?

A

believed that because of human actions, we had, in essence made God “dead” (“we” is modern society)

philosophers and scientists who killed God took purpose from the universe and stripped humans of any special place in the world

perspectivism: no truth, only different perspectives of the world

74
Q

What was Nietzsche’s view on conviction?

A

convictions are thought to reflect truth, but cause fanaticism

opinions are tentative, challengeable, and easily modified in light of new information

75
Q

What was Nietzsche’s idea of the will to power?

A

desire to gain mastery over who we are, and our destiny

allow us to satisfy instincts in a healthy way

related to understanding of goodness and badness

all people have a will to power

to control one’s life, tendency to gain mastery over one’s self and one’s destiny

know thyself, go inward, reflect our lives; develop a sense of morality within us

we discover at the core a will to power

76
Q

What was Nietzsche’s view of Supermen?

A

all people have a will to power; to control one’s life, tendency to gain mastery over one’s self and one’s destiny

trying to attain fullness or potential; push up against convention, become Ubermench when we free ourselves of convention

to fix society, promote what they need to become Ubermench

should find avenues to healthily deal and express negative emotions

77
Q

How was Nietzsche misunderstood throughout history?

A

the notion of supermen was misused by the Nazi party who claimed that the German people were these supermen based on their ethnic heritage

78
Q

What is existentialist psychology?

A

for both men, Hegelian philosophy was a favorite target, and both men preached reliance on direct, personal experience

the major difference between the two was that Kierkegaard accepted the existence of God, whereas for Nietzsche God did not exist

we are responsible for ourselves; can’t rely on others to think for us

PSYCH 303 (8 decks)

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