Religion Theory as it appears in Civilization and its Discontents
In his writing Civilization and its Discontents, Freud describes how humans suffer and their attempts to stay away from pain and live happily. Freud alludes that the leading causes of pain in humans are; the human body being weak and feeble, social surrounding such as disagreements and social legislation, and nature being harsh. Freud also states that human beings tend to react to sufferings in different ways among them being resorting to fantasies, distractions, and intoxications. People who are unable to contain and manage their pains are affected mentally and have a mild mental disease characterized by anxiety, others resort to drug and substance use, and in ultimate cases, people become insane. In Civilization and its Discontents, religion is considered an illusion that has failed in resolving unhappiness in humans.
In his writing, Freud researches more about the oceanic feeling, which is a feeling of limitless and a sensation of eternity, the sense of boundlessness and oneness felt between the ego and the outside world that his colleague experienced, and he thought it was as a result of religion. Freud argued that the feeling was just but a subjective fact but not an article of faith (Freud 2). Freud argues that the feeling was only being used by religious institutions to lure people into various beliefs, but the feeling was not created as a result of religion. In the present day world, the religious institution makes use of psychological techniques to capture the attention followers and maintain them. Some institutions and religious leaders take advantage of people who are emotionally and psychologically unstable and make them believe that it is in their religion that solace is sought and found. People tend to take the direction where an impression of pleasure and happiness is created. According to Freud, the source of the religious feeling is likened to that of an infant needing protection from its father. Freud argues that religions portray their gods as a father who can protect people from suffering. Therefore, religion only creates a feeling of a sense of protection to those who are suffering, not necessarily solving their agonies.
Freud also mentions that religion has numerous restrictions when it comes to seeking happiness by human beings. When in agony, human beings resort to different ways of finding happiness and containing their sufferings which includes distractions whereby individuals channel their wants an demands to where they can be easily satisfied, intoxication and this could be through drugs and substance use, and fantasy that is where an individual seeks compensation for lack of happiness. Freud classified religion as a part of the fantasy. Freud argues that religion limits freedom of choice when it comes to choosing the means of seeking happiness. Religion restricts everyone to its path of happiness and protection from suffering (Freud 15). The doctrine also deviates from reality when it comes to finding happiness, and he also argues that religion depresses the value of life. Its own rules and regulations guide religion. Different principles guide different religious beliefs. These principles, rules, and regulation tend to inhibit human beings from exploring what else could eliminate their pains and suffering and end up being happy. Freud also argues that religion does not guarantee happiness whatsoever. Although he claims that religion does not guarantee satisfaction, he appreciates the fact that religion saves people from individual neurosis, a mild mental illness. Although religion may provide a form of solace and advocates for the happiness of individuals, it limits one’s choice when it comes to the modes of seeking happiness.
Freud argued that people bound by religion are usually submissive to rule governing them, and if they go astray, they feel guilty. Freud argues that there are two main reasons behind feeling guilty, which are fear of a supernatural and fear of super-ego. Freud also argued that religion makes people shift blames (Freud 40). When a misfortune occurs, they tend to believe that it was brought about by not adhering to the rules governing their religion, and in some cases, it could just be nature. When people are on the wrong even when matters of religion are not concerned, they tend to blame their sinful acts instead of blaming themselves and punishing themselves. It is through religion that people do not recognize that their wrongdoings are part of them and that they should suffer the consequences of their actions. Freud gave an instance where Israelites felt that they were the most loved by God and when God was punishing them they sent prophets to intercede for them because of their shortcomings and out of their belief, they set over-strict rules. People had the tendency of blaming their obsession when a misfortune befell them. Religion, therefore, makes people blame their sinful acts and drives them to guilt even when religion is not associated with a particular disaster.
Freud also argues that it is the aggressiveness of man that has facilitated civilization. Freud insists that civilization was brought about by humans trying to oppose their primal aggressiveness nature (Freud 51). Freud is, therefore, objecting the biblical commandments of loving one another and loving neighbors, but he acknowledged religions’ contribution towards civilization. Religions attempt to counter the aggressiveness of man through the laid down rules. Freud was also opposed to communism. Communism advocated for the abolishment of private property. He argued that communism could not change the greedy nature of human beings. Freud argues that assumptions made while coming up with communism were faulty. Freud argues that human nature cannot be altered even by religion. Freud also argued that natural ethics could not contribute to civilization apart from making one feel better than others. He goes further and gives an illustration of how religion-based ethics introduce a better life after death, but he believes that good morals should be rewarded on earth for it to be meaningful.
Freud expresses his pessimism in religion in his book Civilization and its Discontents. Freud’s writing implies that religion failed to deliver its promises on happiness, contentment, and fulfillment of human beings. Freud also argues that religion sought to impose a belief structure without a rational basis and that religion should not be questioned but instead to be followed religiously. Freud notes that religions have an ever-threatening nature, and the rules strictly bind their followers and those who abide by the rules are promised a better after-life while those going against the rules are destined for misfortunes. Religion is, therefore, an illusion that people create in an attempt to seek happiness, but unfortunately, religion has not delivered the expected happiness.
Work Cited
Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and Its Discontents. WW Norton & Company, 1989.
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