Is God a psychological or social construct?

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  • Created by: Lily
  • Created on: 17-04-13 17:59

God as a sign of alienation

LUDWIG FEUERBACH

"Anthropological essence of religion" e.g God = father figure

God comes from religious dogmas/acts.

Supersition = alienation

Seperated from our true identity as we project our essence into God.

God is seperate from humanity therefore alienates us.

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God as a psychological need

God = safe haven from a possibly cruel or dangerous world.

Prayer and religious rituals give us solace in times of crisis.

BUDDHA

Fear of the unknown accepted through meditation.

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God as a social construct

God exists due to the conditions and norms of society.

MARX & DURKHEIM supporters of this.

As our ideas of God become more complex our society develops with it.

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Religion as an instrument of the ruling class

KARLX MARX

History is a battle of class.

Religion offers solidarity and protects the status quo (aka the ruling class)

"veil of illusion" over reality.

e.g Despite claiming to be altruistic to the general public religious leaders live well and enjoy the finer things in life through their high status.

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Religion as an image of the norms of society.

EMILE DURKHEIM

Studied religous behaviour in primitive soceities

Religion = expression of communitity & collective consciousness.

Develops as society does.

BUT

Is there really a "group mind" e.g personal faith?

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