Freud’s Analysis of Religion in The Future of an Illusion
Sigmund Freud authored the future of an Illusion in 1927. The book explains the origin, the adoption, and the future of religion. In the book, Freud describes religion as a false and inappropriate belief approach and system. Freud describes religion as a concept of illusion. The religious illusion comprises the dogmas, conditions and assumptions of reality that explain issues that an individual has not discovered, and that the issues should be given credence. Religious concepts illustrate beliefs through three approaches. The first issue is that our ancestors believed in religion. The second issue is that there exists proof illustrated through antiquity. It third issue is that religion prohibits analysis of its authenticity. The religious beliefs describe the wish fulfillment concept. The concept illustrates the achievement of the most strongest and urgent wishes and needs of the human beings (Freud 312, 2009).
Religious concepts also illustrate the significance of believing in the existence of a superior being or father, the continuity of earthly life in future, and the improper and immoral aspects of the souls of people. Freud differentiates illusion and error through scientific knowledge. Aristotle concept that vermin is produced from dun, is considered an error. The assertion that only the Indo-Germanic race is able to civilize, is considered an illusion. The illusion is because of the wishful aspects involved. Freud further illustrates that the illusions are not entirely false. For instance, a middle class lady can believe that she will be married by a prince. This example is considered unlikely, but not impossible. The example is considered illusionary because it is based on the wishes of the girl (Freud 81, 2002).
Freud explains that religion is similar to the concept of totemism. The individual person is considered the enemy of the community or society. The individual possesses the instinctual issues and needs that should be restrained to ensure the effective functioning of the society. Examples of instinctual wishes include; incest, killing lust and cannibalism. Freud explains that the human nature is majorly anti-social, destructive, rebellious, and possess high sexual affinity. The destructive aspects of humans illustrate the desire for disaster when people interact in the society. The masses are considered unintelligent, lazy, and with inadequate love of instinctual renunciation. The masses are not convinced through inevitability arguments; and the individuals in the masses support the enhancement of indiscipline (Freud 246, 2011).
The human nature is very destructive and only leadership influence can provide an appropriate example to the masses. The leaders ensure that the individuals are motivated to work, and ensure the renunciations that influence the civilization existence. The destructive aspect of the human nature illustrates a hostile society that can form; if not for the input of the civilization and governance factors. The religion development emphasizes getting wealth and satisfying the instinctual needs. The instinctual needs include; sex, glory and immortality. The needs changes from material to the mental. Religion generates reward, as compensation for the appropriate behaviors. Currently, scholars view the arguments of Feud as an illustration of the issues of genetic fallacy. The fallacy holds that religion is viewed as false and unverifiable according to its origin (Freud 117, 2005).
Freud analyzes religion as an Oedipus complex product. The product illustrates the helplessness nature of man in the earth. Man continuously experiences the challenges of; ultimate death, civilization struggle, and the unpredictable nature forces. The religious god entails the childlike desire for a father figure. The gods in religion are responsible for three main functions. First function entails the exorcizing or controlling of the nature terrors. The second function entails the reconciliation of men to their ultimate fate of death. Finally, the gods compensate the men for privations or suffering that has been imposed in the civilized life (Freud 83, 2002).
I agree with the views of Freud concerning the natural instinct. Without the laws formulated by men, civilization will not exist. This is because the laws are used to form governments or societies that guide the human thoughts, conduct and beliefs. Civilization is experienced through development of knowledge and infrastructure. Knowledge is generated through research, for example vaccine discoveries. Infrastructure enhances comfort ability in the society; for instance, the development of effective transport or communication facilities. The god or religious rules also ensure the development of civilization. This is because the religious rules guide appropriate actions in the society. Civilizations become morally and ethically upright by adhering to religious regulations such as; respecting human life and prohibiting of theft or corruption. Civilization is ensured by most importantly set of laws or rules, and thereafter other factors such as technological development. The rules prevent the negative instincts of man; for instance, cannibalism, killing and incestuous sexual relationships. These negative elements are very effective in the destruction of civilization. Without adequate laws, the actions of human beings will resemble the behaviors of wild animals (Freud 120, 2005).
However, I disagree with Freud’s opinion on religion. This is because I understand that the religion was not developed by man; but through a higher and supreme being. I strongly believe that scientific approaches cannot overcome religion; this is because for every answer generated through scientific enquiry, more additional questions are generated. The more nature answers provided by science, the more understanding I get that only a supreme being is capable of creating the universe. I am part of the unpersuadable population, as illustrated by Freud. Freud is against God and religion because he does not believe in the faith concept. He invests so heavily in the scientific approach to answering nature and specifically human questions. The scientific experiments he engaged in did not yield sufficient answers; hence, he recommended that God does not exist and that religion is based on wishful thinking. Maybe, the scientific concepts will be sufficiently able to explain the phenomena existing in the natural and societal environment presently. However, unanswered questions will always be there because scientific discovery only results to generation of more research questions (Freud 315, 2009).
The psychological significance of god and religion is based on the answering of several challenging questions, that Freud illustrates are satisfying. Religion generates answers to the important life issues of human beings. Therefore, the answers provided are very beneficial to the human beings. Throughout the existence of the human race, individuals have continuously questioned the religious beliefs. This is through raising the doubts or issues to themselves; or even experiencing the consequences of expressing the beliefs in oppressive contexts or environments. Freud illustrates that several advanced scholars have generated confusing and distorted research and academic works, because of their inability to address the unpredictability and the unreliability issues of the religious concepts (Freud 242, 2011).
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