Rollo Reese May-chapter16
Terms
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- philosophy that studies the essence of human nature. The emphasis is on freedom, individuality, and phenomenological experience
- Existentialism
- literally means \'to be there\'. In existentialism, the focus of interest is a particualar person experiencing and interpreting the world at a particular time ina particular place
- Dasein *The world and the person exist simultaneously and cannot be separated
- Contention that through their active involvement w/ their life\'s circumstances, authentic people are constantly changing
- Becoming
- -Umwelt -Mitwelt -Eigenwelt
- The 3 modes of existence *each person is thought to live in each world simultaneously, and only the 3 worlds taken together give a full account of human existence
- the physical aspects of the internal and external environments
- Umwelt
- the realm of interpersonal relationships
- Mitwelt
- a person\'s consciousness
- Eigenwelt
- the most important human attribute in that it makes us unique. Can be underdeveloped/ denied in some people.
- Freedom *increase freedom by expanding consciousness *through freedom of choice, a person can transcend his/ her immediate circumstances
- B/c we are free to choose our own existence, we are also entirely responsible for that existence. Cannot blame anyone but ourselves for whatever we become as people
- Responsibility (Freedom and Responsibility are inseparable)
- The study of existence or what it means \'to be\'. Uses concepts of time, love, and knowledge to determine their commonalities
- Ontology *What does it mean to be human? *What makes a person the way he/ she is?
- the study of that which is given in human consciousness
- Phenomenology
- a person exercises their their free will to expand consciousness, establish values that minimize anxiety and provide pos relationships, and create the challenges necessary for further personal growth
- Authenticity (leading an Authentic life) *Authenticity and anxiety are inseparable
- represents nothingness or non- being and is the polar opposite of the full, rich, creative life.
- Death *most existentialists emphasize the importance of the fact that humans are aware they must DIE someday
- those facts that characterize a person\'s life over which he/ she has no control. Such facts include the bio, historical, and cultural events that characterize their life
- Throwness (also called Facticity or Ground of Existence)
- the pattern of limits and talents that constitutes the \"GIVENS\" in life. These personal limitations in our existence give meaning to our personal freedom.
- Destiny (Determinism and Freedom are closely related)
- the fact that humans are capable of viewing themselves as both subject and object at the same time
- Human Dilemma
- 1) Humans see self as an OBJECT to which things happen (influenced by phys envi, people, genetics and social/ cultural variables
- Object-Subject Dichotomy
- what distinguishes humans from the rest of nature. Man\'s capacity to stand outside himself & know he both the subject & object of experience, as the entity who is acting in the worl of objects
- Self-relatedness
- the means by which the dichotomy b/t subject & object is partially overcome (capacity to perceive selectively & assign meaning to objects & events in the world
- Intentionality *Will & Wish (elaborates an important aspect of Dasein. Our interactions w/ the phys world are highly personal & dynamic)
- the capacity to organize oneself so that movement in a certain direction or toward a certain goal may take place
- Will
- the imaginative playing w/ the possibility of some act or state occurring (provides vitality, imagination, & innovation to the personality)
- Wish
- 3 of the most important concepts in May\'s theory b/c they relate to several other human attributes
- -Intentionality -Wish -Will
- results when Freedom is threatened
- Anxiety
- results from the constant challenge to one\'s structure of meaning that results from personal growth (this is an integral part of human growth; values change as we get older)
- Normal Anxiety *proportional to the threat *work on it on a conscious level w/ coping strategies
- results from attempts to escape normal anxiety (consciousness is restricted and old values are clung to)
- Neurotic Anxiety *involves some kind of repression or distortion of reality-->PANIC
- results if one does not live up to his/ her potential as a human being
- Guilt
- part of a healthy existence & can be used constructively
- Normal Guilt
- results when we avoid risk-taking which leads to neurotic anxiety
- Neurotic Guilt (various levels of anxiety & guilt result from how we embrace the Umwelt, Mitwelt and the Eigenwelt)
- symbolically summarize those classes of experience that we deem especially important (the better values you develop--> the less anxiety you will feel b/c you\'re confident in your decisions)
- Values
- 1)love,care, & food 2)approval,success, status among peers 3)freedom,future, & betterment of the human condition
- the Developmental Pattern for values
- the manifestation of Values in behavior
- Commitment *Values & Commitment go hand in hand *Commitment characterizes every normal, healthy, mature human being
- A mixture of the 4 types of love: Sex, Eros, Philia, and Agape
- Authentic Love
- biological drive (intercourse)
- Sex
- the desire for union w/ another person(the \'wanting\' to be w/ someone even after sex) *Daimonic:any natural fcn that has the power to take over the whole person-powerful
- Eros *its the human drive to seek wholeness or interrelatedness among all of our experiences
- Friendship (just liking to be around a person & feeling relaxed w/ them)
- Philia (lover as your best friend & being yourself around them)
- unselfish giving of one\'s self to another w/o any concern of what one will get in return
- Agape (willingness to sacrifice to ensure the happiness of your partner)
- the main goal of this is not to eliminate anxiety or guilt but rather to convert NEUROTIC anxiety/guilt to NORMAL anxiety/ guilt
- Psychotherapy
- cognitive experiences that are denied awareness b/c a person is not living an Authentic life (consumed w/ neurotic anxiety/ guilt)
- Unconscious
- The meeting of 2 selves, seeing things as the other sees them and vice versa. An honest sharing of one\'s self w/ another person
- Encounter (For May, an Encounter is a necessary component of successful psychotherapy
- May\'s proposal of a science of humans based on Existential philosophy. It would take into consideration the human use of symbols,sense of time,values,human uniqueness & importance of Freedom
- New Science of Humans