the challenges of psychology to religious belief
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The Challenges of Psychology to Religious Belief. Is it all in the mind?. Introduction. Most arguments for God’s existence assume that God is an objective reality Psychologist argue that God is nothing more than a construct of the mind - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Challenges of Psychology to Religious Belief
Is it all in the mind?
Introduction
Most arguments for God’s existence assume that God is an objective reality
Psychologist argue that God is nothing more than a construct of the mind
Similarly Sociologists argue that God is a construct of society
Freud
Believed religion to be an illusion Based on wish fulfilment
Believed that given particular circumstances
The human mind creates beliefs and images to satisfy our most basic longings and desires brought on by:
a. Inner psychological conflictb. Stress stemming from the structure of
societyc. Fear of the dangers of the natural world
Inner psychological conflict
Freud claimed Religion is a form of neurotic illness It stems from the unconscious mind It results from incompletely repressed
traumatic memories The trauma is usually sexual in nature Therefore religion is an illusion
resulting from sexual difficulties
Inner psychological conflict
Freud worked with patients suffering from hysteria
Used hypnosis and studied dreams Saw similarities between obsession of the
hysterical and obsession of the religious Concluded that religion must be a form of
neurotic behaviour caused by trauma Invariably sexual in nature
Inner psychological conflict
Libido = body’s most basic urge Therefore this is most probable cause of
psychological problems Oedipus (pro. edipus) complex
The desire to possess the mother and the ambivalence towards the father
Suckling child has sole attention of mother
As libido is transferred to sexual organ there is a rival in form of father
Inner psychological conflict
For Freud to be right Oedipus Complex must be a universal sexual trauma Buried trauma must be able to reappear in form of religion
Oedipus Complex Used work of C Darwin to show social unit as primal horde Hordes = groups of people with a dominant male who has
total authority and claim on all females There is ambivalence towards this male – hatred and
veneration Hordes resent the dominant male and eventually kill him Therefore Oedipus Complex affected all society historically
Inner psychological conflict
Oedipus complex ultimately resulted in guilt
Freud believed we transferred that guilt into objects
First stage through animism We create idols or totems – that is investing
stones trees ort animals with spirits Our guilt is transfer to that object Through prayer and sacrifice the idol is able to
make amends Whilst the totem is venerated, once a year the
animal is killed showing the continual ambivalence
Inner psychological conflict
Second stage through religion Totem becomes unsatisfactory as veneration
grows Father figure becomes divine In Christianity we see:
Worship of God the father Ceremonial killing and eating through
communion (Note: Catholics believe that the bread actually
becomes the body of Christ and the wine actually becomes the blood of Christ, non-Catholics tend to see the bread and wine as symbols)
Stress stemming from the structure of society
Nature of society conflicts with our basic desires
Society depends on a group having the power to govern Such government will often conflict with our
own desires Religion gives reason to submit to those
in authority making society bearable Explains our suffering in terms of need to obey
an omnipotent God
Fear of the dangers of the natural world
We are confronted with many natural forces including death
We have no power over them We live in panic and sense of helplessness Religion provides a way of control
Everything that happens is under control of a superior being that works for our ultimate good
There is a father figure that protects
Freud’s conclusions
Freud accepts there is no prove against existence of God
But he shows that beliefs formed by basic psychological needs are false (for the neurotics at least)
He rejects all things religious He accepts that religion has brought
benefits but also believes it brings problems
Freud would replace religion with scietific understanding
Critique of Freud Michael Palmer – “almost all evidence that
Freud presents has been discredited” Theory of Horde based on Darwin’s speculation
which is no longer accepted Bronislaw Malinowski – showed that Oedipus
Complex is not universal In Trobriand society male is a weak nurse In animal world role of father and mother is one
of support – no opposition Argue that complex is brought about by strict
rules of religion rather than being the cause of them
Frued use narrow selection of evidence Referred to religions based on male deities Some religions are based on female deities
Jung’s Theory of Religion
At first worked closely with Freud Eventually dismissed Freud’s view that
religion is a neurotic illness Jung concluded
Religion is natural stemming from archetype in unconscious mind
It harmonises the psyche It is a beneficial phenomenon Removal of religion would lead to psychological
problems
Jung’s Theory of Religion
Two features of Jung’s work are essential to understanding his ideas
His concept of neuroses and the libido
His concept of the mind
Jung’s Theory of Religion
His concept of neuroses and the libido Worked with schizophrenics Saw no sexual component in their neuroses Did not see sucking of baby as a sexual act Did not see religion as connected to a sexual
trauma Saw libido as far more complicated than sexual
drive
Jung’s Theory of Religion
His concept of the mind Noted similarity of people’s dreams Often ideas related to light Concluded that we each have
A personal unconscious and a collective unconscious
Oldest part of mind Contains range of ideas and images We are born with tendency to conceive
primordial images God is a shared primordial image
Jung’s Theory of Religion
Archetypes Not ‘a question of inherited ideas, but
a functional disposition to produce the same, or very similar, ideas.’ (Jung, Symbols of Transformation, 1977)
Two archetypes are: Persona
A front to cover our true nature from society Shadow
The darker side of our character
Jung’s Theory of Religion
God is an archetype We are born with tendency to generate
religious images Actual images come from experience Disposition to generate them is innate
Religious belief is still valid Religious experience is valid
Still comes from an invisible source Is still ineffable
Jung’s Theory of Religion
Does God exist? ‘Nothing positive or negative has thus been
asserted about the possible existence of any God.’
C. G. Jung, Psychology and Alchemy, 1944 God and religion does exist as a psychic reality
To those who experience the effects, God is real
Jung believes religion maintains the balance of the mind and so prevents neuroses through individuation
Jung’s Theory of Religion
Individuation Libido = a flow of psychic energy All features of personality need to be in
balance to maintain health Therefore has to be a balance between
conscious and the unconscious Mental disorder is a failure to maintain this
balance First part of live is coming to terms with outer
environment Second part is coming to terms with one’s
own personality
Jung’s Theory of Religion
Individuation and Religion Individuation is governed by the self
archetype Any process governed by archetype can be
termed religious Therefore individuation is a religious process
Individuation generates images of wholeness One such image is God Therefore image of God archetype is the same
as the self archetype It follows that religion is necessary to retain
balance and health
Critique of Jung
Critique centres on Methodology The theory of archetypes The concept of religious experience The role of religion within individuation
Critique of Jung
Methodology Jung argues that we cannot know if a religious
experience is real or a creation of the mind Scientists however look for empirical evidence
The theory of archetypes Archetypes not needed Geza Roheim argues that we all share similar
experiences which will produce the similar ideas
Some religions seem to respond to society rather than the other way round
Some people do not believe in God – Jung argues that atheism is a form of religion
Critique of Jung
The concept of religious experience Martin Buber does not accept that an experience
stemming from the mind alone can be termed religious
Jung argued that any archetypal image can be termed religious
But this would mean that evil, satanic images are as religious as a vision of God
The role of religion within individuation If individuation is governed by the self-archetype it
can have nothing to do with God For Jung image of Christ is a symbol of wholeness
But Christians claim Christ is more than a symbol, he is the Son of God
Putting it altogether
Write bullet points that show how you would go about answering the following exam question:
a) Give an account of psychological explanations of religious belief (33)
b) ‘It is wrong to think of God as an invention of the human mind.’ Discuss (17)