German Philosophy (Marx & Freud)
Karl Marx (1818-1883)
Marx sought human freedom through political and economic freedom.
The way people live, he said, is determined by the "relations of production" or how they make, distribute, and use material goods.
We are caught in the rut of Capitalism: people with money sell the products that people without money make, and use this money to hire more people (for as little as possible) to make more things to sell for more money, etc. etc.
Capitalism will eventually burn itself out says Marx, and the workers will revolt and overthrow the viscious system.
"Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains."
The problem according to Marx concerning capitalism is that:
1. It makes the rich richer and the poor poorer
2. Workers are not invested in the product because they are really working to get money
3. Leads to alienated labor
4. Workers would eventually get sick of low wages and hard work and revolt
As an alternative, Marx created the economic system of "communism"
In communism everyone works for oneself and for the common good of the community
Freedom is taking pride in your work, not in your possessions
So far the revolts have all happened not through the workers, but the political activists and idealistic students
Marx's theories have impacted many philosophers and artists throughout the 19 & 20th centuries
Marx's theory of alienation (Entfremdung in German) refers to the separation of things that naturally belong together, or to cause conflict between things that are in harmony. In the concept's most important use, it refers to the social alienation of people from aspects of their "human nature". This alienation is usually a result of capitalism (particularly labor). When humans are treated as objects instead of beings, alienation is bound to occur.
When we read literature, we can put on our "Marxist" goggles or critical lenses and examine a work by looking at its capitalistic evils and economic issues or conflicts of its characters.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
Freud created "Freudian Psychology" (psychoanalysis): interpreting what people say and do in order to figure out what their root problems are.
He believed that psychological desires influence the forming of a personality.
Theory of Unconscious:
The part of the mind that thinks and feels without you being aware of these thoughts and feelings is called the UNCONSCIOUS.
The UNCONSCIOUS is comprised of 3 sections: The Ego, the Id, and the Superego.
1. The Ego is the self
2. The Id is the animalistic or primitive side of the unconscious.
3. The Superego is the control
Dreams are one way of communicating with the unconscious. They are coded messages mailed to your conscious self.
Freud also stated that:
We all have desires.
Sometimes the self cannot admit that it wants certain things, because we all learn (usually during infancy) that some things are bad for us.
As a result, the mind REPRESSES (repression) or hides these desires in the unconscious until they resurface as expensive psychoanalysis bills.
In general, most repressed desires are sexual in nature.
We are sexually motivated from birth. Freud divided people into three major developmental stages:
1. Oral (infancy to about 1 year old)
2. Anal (2-3 years)
3. Genital (until about adulthood)
Freud had two major principles:
1. Pleasure Principal: we pursue pleasure. From the moment we're born, we want to be comforted, fed, etc. This pleasure seeking can be both physical and emotional.
2. Reality Principle: You can't always get what you want. Sometimes you have to alter your instinctual behavior to get what you want. Often this leads to supression.
These two principles combine to affect our personalities and make us who we are.
Jokes, dreams, myths, compulsions, obsessions, fetishes, hysterical fits, etc. all are part of our repressed desires, says Freud.
Two Famous Complexes:
Oedipus Complex: A desire to get rid of one's father and "marry" one's mother.
Virtually all men deal with this repressed desire, says Freud.
A male child develops an Oedipus complex as a result of having to compete with their fathers for their mother's attention/affection. They have not learned to accept their fathers' authority and are still dependent on the mother.
Girls go through the Electra Complex - basically the same thing, but reversed gender roles: daughter wants father, etc.
Here's a bit more information about Freud's theories.
To learn more about Freud, click there.
Marx sought human freedom through political and economic freedom.
The way people live, he said, is determined by the "relations of production" or how they make, distribute, and use material goods.
We are caught in the rut of Capitalism: people with money sell the products that people without money make, and use this money to hire more people (for as little as possible) to make more things to sell for more money, etc. etc.
Capitalism will eventually burn itself out says Marx, and the workers will revolt and overthrow the viscious system.
"Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains."
The problem according to Marx concerning capitalism is that:
1. It makes the rich richer and the poor poorer
2. Workers are not invested in the product because they are really working to get money
3. Leads to alienated labor
4. Workers would eventually get sick of low wages and hard work and revolt
As an alternative, Marx created the economic system of "communism"
In communism everyone works for oneself and for the common good of the community
Freedom is taking pride in your work, not in your possessions
So far the revolts have all happened not through the workers, but the political activists and idealistic students
Marx's theories have impacted many philosophers and artists throughout the 19 & 20th centuries
Marx's theory of alienation (Entfremdung in German) refers to the separation of things that naturally belong together, or to cause conflict between things that are in harmony. In the concept's most important use, it refers to the social alienation of people from aspects of their "human nature". This alienation is usually a result of capitalism (particularly labor). When humans are treated as objects instead of beings, alienation is bound to occur.
When we read literature, we can put on our "Marxist" goggles or critical lenses and examine a work by looking at its capitalistic evils and economic issues or conflicts of its characters.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
Freud created "Freudian Psychology" (psychoanalysis): interpreting what people say and do in order to figure out what their root problems are.
He believed that psychological desires influence the forming of a personality.
Theory of Unconscious:
The part of the mind that thinks and feels without you being aware of these thoughts and feelings is called the UNCONSCIOUS.
The UNCONSCIOUS is comprised of 3 sections: The Ego, the Id, and the Superego.
1. The Ego is the self
2. The Id is the animalistic or primitive side of the unconscious.
3. The Superego is the control
Dreams are one way of communicating with the unconscious. They are coded messages mailed to your conscious self.
Freud also stated that:
We all have desires.
Sometimes the self cannot admit that it wants certain things, because we all learn (usually during infancy) that some things are bad for us.
As a result, the mind REPRESSES (repression) or hides these desires in the unconscious until they resurface as expensive psychoanalysis bills.
In general, most repressed desires are sexual in nature.
We are sexually motivated from birth. Freud divided people into three major developmental stages:
1. Oral (infancy to about 1 year old)
2. Anal (2-3 years)
3. Genital (until about adulthood)
Freud had two major principles:
1. Pleasure Principal: we pursue pleasure. From the moment we're born, we want to be comforted, fed, etc. This pleasure seeking can be both physical and emotional.
2. Reality Principle: You can't always get what you want. Sometimes you have to alter your instinctual behavior to get what you want. Often this leads to supression.
These two principles combine to affect our personalities and make us who we are.
Jokes, dreams, myths, compulsions, obsessions, fetishes, hysterical fits, etc. all are part of our repressed desires, says Freud.
Two Famous Complexes:
Oedipus Complex: A desire to get rid of one's father and "marry" one's mother.
Virtually all men deal with this repressed desire, says Freud.
A male child develops an Oedipus complex as a result of having to compete with their fathers for their mother's attention/affection. They have not learned to accept their fathers' authority and are still dependent on the mother.
Girls go through the Electra Complex - basically the same thing, but reversed gender roles: daughter wants father, etc.
Here's a bit more information about Freud's theories.
To learn more about Freud, click there.
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