Religion as an illusion

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When did Freud publish The Future of an illusion?
1929
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What did Freud outline with the The Future of an illusion?
Outlined religion as an illusion based on wish fulfilment of the yearnings and longings of the ideal-ego aspect of the super-ego.
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Who was Freud heavily influenced by?
Ludwig Freuerbach
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What did Freuerbach perceive God as?
A ‘projection’ of the human mind based on human longings and desires.
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Where did Freud think the origin of religion lies?
In our deepest wishes such as the desires for justice and desire to escape death. E.g each attribute of God can be interpreted to be an expression of an aspect of hope human beings have to be free from their limitations (God’s holiness=our desire to
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Why did Freud believe people invented religious doctrines?
b/c the doctrines fulfilled their wishes.
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Why do people follow religion?
For wish fulfilment
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What desires are common in all people and why does this relate back to God?
People of all cultures desire justice and to escape death. In order for these desires to be met there should be an eternal, omnipotent, omnibenevolent God who will resurrect the dead, punish the unjust and reward the worthy with the promise of heaven
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Why did Freud think that people just use religion for a sense of security?
People just use religion for a sense of security as they are defenseless against natural forces
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Why does religion provide this protection against natural forces?
It allows the natural forces to no longer be impersonal
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What is an example of turning a natural force to be personal?
Forces of nature e.g wind can be worshiped in order to be controlled ∴ we are not powerless anymore.
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Just like natural forces, religion can protect you from internal forces, give an example.
We fight against our basic human instinct of aggression with religious teachings of love and protecting the weak allows humans to move away from war and violence.
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Give an example of protection against internal forces, other than aggression.
Sexual drive can be controlled by religious teachings of sexual behaviour and relationships.
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What is the reward for following religious teachings?
Protection against internal natural forces.
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What is the analogy that describes religion?
A father figure protects the child, religious beliefs act as a father to protect adults.
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How did Freud relate this view of religion as an illusion back to atheism?
Religion is a childish delusion while atheism is a grown-up realism.
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What method did freud say would rationally explain the inner workings of the mind?
The scientific method of observation and analysis.
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Why did Freud rely on the scientific method of observation and analysis?
Because of this findings within psychoanalysis of his patients who were expressing neurotic symptoms and physical condition, despite the fact they had no physical cause.
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Why did Freud allow his patients to speak freely to him?
To allow them to unlock their repressed thoughts.
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Did Freud evidence for the oedipus complex within any of his patients and what was his conclusion from it?
Yes. So he believed that their psychological illness was due to repressed sexual feelings.
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What form of biology did Freud base his ideas from?
What form of biology did Freud base his ideas from?
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Freud believed that a great understanding of evolution is needed for two things, which are?
To be a psychoanalyst and to do psychoanalysis
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Did Darwinian influence have a great influence on Freud? .
Yes
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Which of Darwin's works did Freud think was the most significant book that was ever published?
Darwin’s origin of species.
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What theory did Freud develop that took influence from Darwin’s ideas?
That all behaviour is the result of a few basic animal drives produced by natural selection to facilitate survival.
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What is the main survival feature that has been passed on?
Sex drive , this is why it became central to Freud’s theory of human behaviour.
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Why is the idea of people living in horde unreliable?
b/c it was a speculation by Darwin. More research reveals that grouping with people had a greater variety.
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Why is the idea of totem worship unreliable?
b/c there’s no evidence.
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Why does overall primal horde lack reliability?
Lack of evidence
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Even if the primal crime of the father occurred why is the rest of the theory still unreliable?
There is no evidence that shows that guilt can be inherited as a mental trait.
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Did Freud argue that the oedipus complex accounted for people modelling God on their father?
Yes
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How did people contradict the oedipus complex and relating the model of God to their father figure?
Many people modelled God from their mother.
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Who was Bronislaw Malinowsk?
A polish anthropologist
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What did he study when he got stranded on the Trobriand Islands off the eastern coast of New Guinea?
The trobianad race.
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When did Bronislaw Malinowsk publish Sex and Repression in Savage Society?
1927
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What were his findings on the island?
No evidence for the oedipus complex, even though the tribiand race had a religion.
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After the evidence found by Malinowsk, what did Freud conclude that the oedipus complex and religion?
The complex doesn’t cause the religion, but the religion with its strict rules on sexual behaviour and relationships causes the oedipus complex w/c leads to neurotic symptoms.
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How many case studies did Freud base his oedipus complex on?
5, and he generalised that these few cases would be the case for everyone.
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Did Freud base this theory only on the religions he was familiar with? What were these religions?
Yes, christianity and judaism.
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Why did Chritianity and Judaism work well with Freud's argument?
He used the importance of the father figure symbol, to argue that the father figure develops into a male God.
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What was a weakness in the argument relating to the the father figure and the male God?
He failed to look at religions with female deities, e.g hinduism and the Egypt Isis cult.
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What was the weakness in Freud’s argument relating to the figure of God?
Some religions don’t have a God e.g Buddhism
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Did Freud regard himself as a scientist and what was he identify as a new science?
Yes and psychoanalysis. .
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According to Karl Popper what 2 things are needed for a genuine science theory?
It needs to be testable, therefore falsifiable at principle.
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A theory which is _________with all possible _________ is_______.
Compatible, observations, unscientific.
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Why is Freud’s theory unscientific?
B/c it's compatible with every state of affairs ∴ it can’t be falsified. It's not scientific.
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What is the problem of Freud stating that human behaviour is influenced by unconscious causes that are unobservable e.g repressed memories?
No way of observing the evidence.
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What is one of the major downfalls within Freud’s argument?
He fails to predict future outcomes but is very good at ‘stating’ what has happened in the past.
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What is a recent attack on Freud beliefs relating to sexual abuse?
Many patients informed him of their sexual trauma on being abused by male relatives. He didn’t believe the allegations and thought they were revealing their childhood fantasies. But nowadays there is evidence for male sexual abuse.
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Card 2

Front

What did Freud outline with the The Future of an illusion?

Back

Outlined religion as an illusion based on wish fulfilment of the yearnings and longings of the ideal-ego aspect of the super-ego.

Card 3

Front

Who was Freud heavily influenced by?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What did Freuerbach perceive God as?

Back

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Card 5

Front

Where did Freud think the origin of religion lies?

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