1. Theme 2 Philosophy of Religion
Challenges to religious belief
Religious belief as a product of the human mind – booklet 3

2. Religious belief as a product of the human mind – Sigmund Freud:
Religion as an illusion and/or a neurosis with reference to collective neurosis; primal horde; Oedipus complex; wish fulfilment and reaction against helplessness.
Supportive evidence including reference to redirection of guilt complexes and reference to instinctive desires deriving from evolutionary basis (Charles Darwin).
Challenges including lack of anthropological evidence for primal horde; no firm psychological evidence for universal Oedipus complex; evidence basis too narrow. c

3. Freud: the unconscious
The human mind creates beliefs and images to satisfy basic longings
These beliefs are created in our unconscious mind

4. The unconscious mind:
Is, the part of the mind we cannot always access We hold many of our unwanted thoughts in our unconscious mind i.e. Guilt, shame, trauma and desires

5. Defence mechanisms:
We use forms of defence mechanisms to protect ourselves psychologically
This creates an inner conflict, which then causes neurosis (anxiety)
We need to overcome this inner conflict

6. Psychological conflict is within ourselves,
So, religion is seen as a collective neurosis (anxiety caused by unconscious thoughts)
Helplessness and fear of natural forces
God thus becomes a:
“Projected Father figure”
We need him as a source of protection, but also as a source of fear and guilt

7. So, we create the illusion of God and religion to help us deal with the problems in our unconscious mind
So believing in God is a form of:
“wish fulfilment”

8. Q. Why does this happen? Because…people look for meaning in life
Difficult to accept death will come
So it’s comforting to believe there is an after life
Freud suggests the illusion of religion is no better than creating an imaginary friend
A collective neurosis is a neurotic illness that afflicts all people
So, religious behaviour i.e. going to church is like a form of mass hysteria

9. Applying some of Freud’s concepts: The libido:
is our unconscious sexual drive
It forms our basic urges such as sex, satisfaction and gratification
Problems arise in childhood where the child (especially males) forms a deep bond with their mothers
Problems develop later due to guilt and fear of the Father

10. Primal hordes
The theory is based on the principle of: “primal hordes”
Based on “Darwinism”
These were groups of people/societies based around a single dominant male
He had dominance over the group and priority over all the females
Like the modern day-alpha male
Over time- younger members of the horde would have resentment towards him
When older, they would group together to kill him
The relationship is ambivalent (love/hate)
We know this concept affected some early human societies

11. Animism: When suffering from extreme guilt
People create idols (totems)
Totems were often natural phenomena i.e. animals, rocks and trees, which were perceived as divine entities
The unconscious mind can project the feelings of guilt onto the idol (or the totem)

12. Animism cont..
Eventually, when the idea of totems became unsatisfactory
Totems were transformed into gods of religions
An example of this is the Christian God
He is worshiped in the same way as the totems were-with reverence but also fear

13. Freud, part 2: Oedipus complex

14. Freud Test 1. What is a neurosis?
2. What is stored in the unconscious mind?
3. What is a primal horde?
4. What crime did the primal horde commit?
5. How did they deal with their guilt?
6. What is a totem?
7. What is the ‘religious phase’?
8. Briefly explain the Oedipus Complex.
9.What did Freud believe humans were scared of?

15. The relevance of Oedipus complex
So, the Oedipus complex is a sexual trauma caused by guilt Freud’s belief is that the guilt has some how been genetically passed on to modern societies Q: But- how does this explain away religion or religious behaviour?

16. Instinctive desires deriving from evolutionary basis
Supportive evidence including reference to redirection of guilt complexes and reference to instinctive desires deriving from evolutionary basis (Charles Darwin).
Instinctive desires deriving from evolutionary basis
Evolution – natural selection
Redirection of guilt complexes – Freud’s case studie

17. Research:
There have been studies that aim to compare the perceptions of God to perceptions of parents (Father figure)
Hertel & Donahue (1995) found that God was seen as a loving Father, especially with girls; (this relates to the image of the father in the family)
Ullman (1982) found a link between absent Fathers and children who later convert to Christianity
These studies support the concept of God as a “projected Father figure”
See handout on study by Carroll (1983) next slide

18. Carroll (1983)
Found that visions of the Virgin Mary are more common in cultural areas where Fathers tend to be absent
These visions are also far more common among the celibate or unmarried
Creating the assumption they are sexually frustrated
This study supports the idea of God as a projected Father figure

19. All the above research appears to support Freud’s explanation of religion and religious behaviour as it illustrates the role of the unconscious mind as the source of the religious beliefs

20. Essay planning – three possible questions to plan
Explain Freud’s ideas about religion. – Done Explain the evidence used to support Freud’s ideas about religion – Done Explain the challenges to Freud’s ideas about religion – see next slide

21. Explain the challenges to Freud’s ideas about religion
Freud was . . .
Freud claimed .. Primal hordes .. Challenged by . . .
Freud stated … Dominate male… Challenges by
Freud believed religion was due to… Oedipus … Challenged by
Freud saw religion as a negative … Challenged by . . .

22. Freud’s conclusion:
In his follow up writing: The future of an illusion; Freud (1927) concludes: “If men are taught that there is no almighty and all just God, no divine order and no future life, they will feel exempt from obligation to obey the precepts of civilisation. Everyone will follow his asocial instincts… and chaos will come again.” Activity: What do you think Freud means by this? Write down in your own words

23. In pairs – listen to each song and explain the link to Freud’s theory of religion.