Religion as an illusion - Wish fulfilment Flashcards
What is there a wish fulfilment of?
The yearnings and longings of the ideal-ego aspect of the superego
Who was wish fulfilment idea influenced by?
Feuerbach, who saw God as a projection of human mind based on human longings
Where do our wishes come from?
Deepest desires such as for justice and to escape death
What is each attribute of God an expression of?
An expression of an aspect of the hope humans have to be free from their limitations
“religion is the dream…”
“of the human mind.”
Feuerbach
What do we try invent?
A source of security for our hopelessness in the forces of nature
What does religion do to natural forces?
Makes them no longer impersonal
What figure does religion provide?
A father figure to the father. Freud saw this as childish
What does religion make natural forces?
Turns them into gods who can be worshipped and controlled through religious devotion
“religion is born from…”
“man’s need to make his helplessness tolerable.”
Freud
