PSYC18H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Existential Phenomenology, Edmund Husserl, Eric Fromm
Document Summary
Looking back at the psychodynamic approach, it introduced the importance of reactions to the unique symbolic meaning (i. e. content or subject matter) of situations for individuals or members of group. Being open with ourselves about these issues so you put the tension out on the table and you can start coping. However, when the emotional reaction is too powerful, it will be repressed by the ego and, as a consequence, the person might not quite know what is causing their bad feelings. The goal of therapy is to help the person gain access to both the feelings and their historic cause. This is usually accompanied by a catharsis, the release of emotion that was pent up in the unconscious. We contrast phenomenology with the positivist outlook on the world. Positivist outlook: what is real can be measured, calculated or controlled. All our science is based on measures we take for granted. Objectivity vs. subjectivity (old slides from midterm)
