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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
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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
Who was Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
the Social Contract lived a chaotic life
26
What was Rousseau's views on feelings versus reason?
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
27
What was the Rousseau's idea of the noble savage?
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
28
What was Rousseau's idea of the general will?
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
29
What was Rousseau's view on education?
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
30
What was Goethe's idea of Bildungsroman?
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
31
What was Goethe's theory of colors?
Goethe made important advances in science, notably in anatomy, botany, and color theory darkness is active ingredient in color
32
What was Goethe's view on phenomenology?
insisted that intact, meaningful psychological experience should be the object of study, rather than meaningless isolated sensations was an early phenomenologist
33
What was Goethe's view on evolution and plant biology?
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
Who was Arthur Schopenhauer?
quite depressive and down on life influenced by Eastern traditions (Buddhism)
35
What was Schopenhauer's idea of the will to survive?
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
What was Schopenhauer's idea regarding how intelligent beings suffer the most
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
What were Schopenhauer's views on sublimation and denial?
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
What was Schopenhauer's views on the unconscious mind?
wrote of positive and negative impulses, the unconscious, repression, and resistance before Freud these are usually our prime motivators
39
Who was Edward von Hartmann (1942-1906)?
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
What is existentialism?
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
Who was Soren Kierkegaard?
tortured figure, mark on philosophy and humanistic psychology distrustful of religion as an institution: more psychological or as a personal religion
42
What was Kierkegaard's view of the self?
the self is not something we are born with involves bringing together two factors: the infinite and the finite
43
What was Kierkegaard's view of the infinite and the finite?
saw humans as a synthesis of opposing tendencies the most important of these opposing tendencies is that between the infinite and the finite
44
What was Kierkegaard's view of the infinite?
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
What was Kierkegaard's view of the finite?
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
What was Kierkegaard's anxiety and dread?
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
What were Kierkegaard's views on despair?
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
What was Kierkegaard's idea of unconscious despair?
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
How did Kierkegaard define "the sensualist" in unconscious despair?
pure hedonist, live for the moment, inarticulate, happiness is based on external references, things outside them
50
How did Kierkegaard define "the system-builder" in unconscious despair?
philosopher, developing abstract systems to escape their lives, avoid having to deal with ones life
51
What was Kierkegaard's idea of conscious despair?
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
How did Kierkegaard define despair of weakness?
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
How did Kierkegaard define despair of defiance?
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
How did Kierkegaard define facts?
something we get from science, will not help us navigate to become the self, just help us live
55
How did Kierkegaard define truth?
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
What were Kierkegaard's three spheres of existence?
reflect different ways of confronting despair different modes of living to relieve despair
57
What was Kierkegaard's idea of the Mass-Man?
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
What was Kierkegaard's idea of the aesthetic sphere?
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
What was Kierkegaard's idea of the ethical sphere?
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
What is the problem with people in the ethical sphere?
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
What was Kierkegaard's idea of the religious sphere?
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
What was Kierkegaard's idea of the knight of infinite resignation?
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
What was Kierkegaard's idea of the knight of faith?
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
What was Kierkegaard's idea of the leap of faith?
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
What was Kierkegaard's view on religion?
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
What was Kierkegaard's view on God?
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
Who was Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche?
problematic in how his life influenced philosophy
68
Who was Wilhelm Dilthey?
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
What were the two aspects of life that Nietzsche proposed?
Apollonian aspect and Dionysian aspect balance these aspects; avoid negatives on both sides
70
What was Nietzsche's idea of the Apollonian aspect of human nature?
rational side desire for tranquility, predictability and orderliness
71
What was Nietzsche's idea of the Dionysian aspect of human nature?
irrational side attraction to creative chaos and to passionate, dynamic, experiences
72
How did Nietzsche's views relate to psychology?
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
What was Nietzsche's idea of the death of God?
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
What was Nietzsche's view on conviction?
convictions are thought to reflect truth, but cause fanaticism opinions are tentative, challengeable, and easily modified in light of new information
75
What was Nietzsche's idea of the will to power?
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
What was Nietzsche's view of Supermen?
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
How was Nietzsche misunderstood throughout history?
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
What is existentialist psychology?
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

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