PSYC 31a Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Daimonic, Oedipus Complex, Gestalt Therapy
2 May 2017
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Document Summary
Existentialism began in europe shortly after wwii, spread to the us. Seeks to understand anxiety, despair, and the alienation that people feel from themselves and society. Blends psychoanalytic tradition and existentialist movement in philosophy. To stand out or to emerge (vs. essentialist position - find the unchangeable principles and laws that govern existence), Player in the game of life, not detached uninvolved spectator. Truth only happens through participation, consciousness and relatedness. Knowledge is the act of doing, existence precedes essence, Individuals are agents with free choices, responsible for their actions, emphasis on choice and responsibility, worthwhile life is authentic, honest, and genuine. Call for an approach to the study of humans that does not reduce us to collections of habits, brain functions, genetically determined traits, early experiences, or environmental events. Science that considers human freedom, the importance of phenomenological experience, the use of symbols, the ability to consider the past, present, and future in making decisions, and the valuing process.
