10. Conscience: Fromm's approaches to Conscience
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 26-06-17 20:47
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- 10. Fromm's approaches to Conscience
- The Authoritarian Conscience
- All humans are influenced by external authorities who apply rules and punishments for breaking them
- And these rules are then internalised by the individual
- A guilty conscience is a result of displeasing authority and if that is authority of God then the fear of being rejected will have a powerful influence on an individual
- Disobedience produces guilt, which in turn weakens our power and makes us more submissive to authority
- All humans are influenced by external authorities who apply rules and punishments for breaking them
- The Humanistic Conscience
- Fromm's views changes over time and he obviously saw humanistic conscience as being much healthier, since it assesses and evaluates our behaviour
- We use it to judge how successful we are as people
- We use it to judge how successful we are as people
- These views do not necessarily undermine the possibility of God having some role in our conscience
- Criticisms
- Theoretical problems
- Fromm argues that human beings are predetermined creatures
- This determinism sits uncomfortably with Fromm's view that life offers hope
- How is it possible to rise above alienation if everyone is determined to be alienated?
- Fromm argued that to be set free it is necessary to be conscientious, which means being a person of conscience
- Fromm argues that human beings are predetermined creatures
- Critics
- They argue Fromm analysed situation but did not establish the cure
- Scholars also question whether the conscience works to give hope, joy and love
- Michel Foucault (1926-1984) argued that the conscience acts to condemn the individual, not to liberate
- He points out the link between the conscience and guilt complex
- Michel Foucault (1926-1984) argued that the conscience acts to condemn the individual, not to liberate
- Practical problems with Fromm's view of biophilia and conscience
- How is a conscience based on love of and for life to be used?
- Fromm gives enough information to suggest an application of biophilia conscience is possible
- A love of life should be applied to all moral decisions
- This would mean businesses treating their emplyees as partners
- it would mean not destroying the ecosystem
- Fromm's conscience is designed to enhance Quality of Life and empower every individual
- A love of life should be applied to all moral decisions
- Fromm gives enough information to suggest an application of biophilia conscience is possible
- How is a conscience based on love of and for life to be used?
- Theoretical problems
- The Authoritarian Conscience
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