Compares conceptions of human nature as proposed by Marx and Freud. Marx's conception is based on economic interactions and the relationship of humans to labor, Freud's conception is rooted in theoretical constructs of the mind producing observable beh
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 3 sources, 1990, $ 31.95
From the Paper " Differing views of human nature are found in the theories of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud. The two writers address diverse aspects of human life, with Marx centering on the economic and political and Freud on the inner life of the mind and the ways in which that manifests itself in human behavior. The two men have as their starting point a conception of human nature which shows why human beings behave as they do, and for both men the reasons for human behavior are hidden from view, hidden from the understanding of the majority of people responding to them. For Marx, the hidden force is economic and involves the relationship of the human being to labor, while for Freud the hidden force is found in theoretical constructs of the mind which govern different aspects of thought and behavior and whose interaction produces the behavior we can see..."
Abstract Religion plays a key role in the works of both Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx and a close look at their respective views on religion are therefore very important. With that in mind, this paper argues that, while both Durkheim and Marx are not strong advocates of religion, Marx is especially sharp in his denunciation. In particular, whereas Durkheim does see some salutary effects associated with religious practice - such as the promotion of social solidarity as well as a collective moral code - Marx views religion as being basically an appendage of the capitalist establishment. More than that, Marx's vision of both religion and of capitalism is so unflattering that he compares the former to an ancient Near Eastern religious sect which favored the sacrifice of children to an obscure deity.
Abstract This paper questions whether Marx and Engel's theories of economic and social equality would be as readily accepted today as they were in the authors' day. The writer analyzes Marx and Engel's theories, with particular emphasis on "The Communist Manifesto." This is compared and contrasted to Robert Putnam's social capital perspective. The author feels that if Marx and Engels had read Putnam's ideas they might have been inspired by some of the benefits of capitalism, possibly altering their manifesto to include certain elements of democracy. The paper also examines the ideas expressed in Albert Hirschman's "Exit, Voice, and Loyalty." The author also believes Hirschman's philosophy would have impacted Marx and Engels as well. The author concludes that if Marx and Engels had lived to see recent history, their vision of a new, just society based on economic plenty shared by all would have certainly changed.
Outline:
About the Communist Manifesto
Putnam's Notion of Social Capital
Exit, Voice, and Loyalty
Conclusion
Bibliography
From the Paper "It makes sense that if Marx and Engels were alive in today's society, they would have much different trains of thought. Given their philosophical natures, they would likely be influenced by many of today's contemporary thought leaders, such as Albert Hirschman, author of "Exit Voice and Loyalty", and Robert Putnam, author of "Democracies in Flux". This paper aims to provide a background on the ideas of "The Communist Manifesto" and offer some insight on what Marx and Engels may have changed based on reading these two contemporary works. "
Abstract This paper on Freud introduces you to the father of psychoanalysis and his work. This paper explores Freud's background and the times he lived in. It also discusses the development of psychoanalysis and then looks at the ideas surrounding Freud's work on the unconscious.
From the Paper "A prolific and gifted writer, whose broad learning extended from neurophysiology and evolution to the literature of six languages, Sigmund Freud (1826-1939) was one of the most influential scientists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was also one of the most controversial scientists of any time, so much so that both his critics and admirers have occasionally succumbed to the temptation to deny that he was a scientist at all."
Abstract This paper presents Sigmund Freud's views on overeating due to anxiety. The paper reviews Freud's concepts of the ego, id, superego and the unconscious and applies them to this situation. The paper also considers Freud's theories on the role of the libido.
Abstract This paper explains that many of Freud's ideas about the origins and nature of dreams, as present in his 1900 classic "The Interpretation of Dreams", have been revised by researchers over the intervening century. The author points out that Freud's insight about analyzing dreams, as if they represented a one-to-one system of symbolic signification, is flawed. The paper relates that many of Freud's ideas about modes of representation and signification in dreams have direct relevance to understanding semiotics and sign systems.
From the Paper "Sigmund Freud's "The Interpretation of Dreams" was first published in 1900 and has become an acknowledged classic, although it is likely that many of Freud's ideas about the origins and nature of dreams have been considerably revised by researchers over the intervening century between his time and ours. However, as this presentation makes clear, many of Freud's ideas about modes of representation and signification in dreams have direct relevance to our understanding of semiotics and sign systems. Perhaps one of the key insights of Freud's "The Interpretation of Dreams" lies in his view that analyzing dreams as if they represented a one-to-one system of symbolic signification is flawed."
Abstract This paper analyzes and examines Sigmund Freud's bungled actions theory. The writer explores the basis for the theory and uses several examples to illustrate how Freud believed it worked. According to the theory, there is no such thing as an accident, but rather an unconscious desire. The author concludes that Freud believed it was necessary to explore these bungled actions by understanding their foundational roots. Only then could the person let go of the problem and have a healthier mental attitude.
Outline
Introduction
What It Is
Conclusion
From the Paper "Before one can begin to understand the many underlying and sublime underpinnings of bungled actions as Freud understood them it is important that one first have a basic grasp and understanding of the theory itself. Freud developed the theory of Bungled Actions as a method to explain when things happen that seem to be accidental but play right into what that person desires at the time. The desire may not even be a conscious or purposeful event, but can be something that is desired in the subconscious and the accident or bungled action provides a means to get that desire accomplished."
Abstract This thesis seeks to examine the treatment, by Sigmund Freud, of a female patient, identified as Dora, aged 18, in the beginning of the 20th. century. The author contends that Freud, whilst undoubtedly a pioneer in the field of psychiatry and psychoanalysis, allowed his prejudices and chauvinism to influence his thinking and diagnosis in the case of Dora. The writer investigates and evaluates this idea by examining existing scholarly research and by his own investigation into Freud's treatment of his patient.
From the Paper "This paper will present the case - through a careful review of existing scholarship and this writer's own investigation - that Freud was a chauvinist who didn't listen to Dora's cry for understanding, but rather became aggressive in his desire to verify his own interpretations of her issues. In short, there is evidence that Dora was a victim of trauma, but in his haste to prove his point about hysteria, Freud used his narrative to spin the truth his own selfish way. And moreover, he made rash assumptions about Dora's family - in particular her mother - without having full knowledge and background of those dynamics, and he didn't record the substance of his therapy with Dora until after the sessions had been completed. It is altogether possible that Freud's assumptions - and his own ego-driven male bias - led him to wrongful conclusions, and the fact that he relied on his memory to complete the delicate yet pivotal recording of the interactions with Dora leads observers today to wonder as regards the accuracy therein."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts Karl Marx and Jessica Benjamin on the issue of power. The paper explains that Benjamin appropriated Marx's view of power to some degree but also points out how Marx's and Benjamin's opinions of power also differed.
From the Paper "Karl Marx differentiated essential power from political power, arguing that man inherently possesses essential powers that are his to use while also being subjected to the influences of political powers employed by elites within society. This view of the human condition, which was to a degree appropriated by Jessica Benjamin, suggests that there are elements or forces within any given society which seek to delimit the capacity of an individual or a group or even a gender to exercise power."
Tags: philosphy, power, Karl Marx, Jessica Benjamin
Abstract In this paper the writer compares and contrasts the moral philosophy in the works of Marx and Aristotle. The writer examines the contributions of Engels and Marx and of Aristotle to the nature of morality. The writer also discusses the differing methods of Aristotle and Marx.
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the contributions of Marx and Engels on one hand and Aristotle on the other with regard to the nature of morality. The research will set forth the discourse context for the issue and then discuss how the two approaches to analyzing morality coincide and how they differ with a view toward identifying and evaluating the significance and influence of these commentators on the discourse of morality. At first glance it seems that Aristotle and Marx can have very little in common ... "
Abstract Karl Marx defined alienation as the process of the working man becoming only a cog in the machinery of production. This paper examines claims that this concept of alienation was actually put forth by Friedrich Engels first and only later expounded upon by Marx. It traces the progression from papers by Engels to the "Communist Manifesto" and shows that while Marx is believed to be the main author, actually Engels supplied much more of the economic theory.
From the Paper "In the year 1848, Western society was 'enlightened' through the introduction of a new ideology put forward by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, proponents of the political treatise "Communist Manifesto." In it, the authors proposed and expounded on the issue of socialism as the new revolutionary movement that served as the antithesis of the principles of capitalism and eventually, modernism. The socialism-capitalism dichotomy was discussed based on the antagonistic relationships that emerged out of the unequal opportunities given to people at each point or stage of the socio-economic history of humanity. Thus, Marx and Engels posit that throughout history and until capitalism, human society has been in the "history of class struggles," wherein there existed inequalities among "[f]reeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman...oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted now hidden, now open fight...""
Abstract This paper examines how Karl Marx's "Paris Documents" examine the philosophical concept of alienation, which Marx expertly grounds in the material construction of human existence. It looks at how the work Marx produced in the "Paris Manuscripts" accurately describes the conditions of laborers not only within capitalism but, more importantly, within the structure of civilization itself.
From the Paper "Well before Karl Marx completed his (in)famous Communist Manifesto, he was working on many of the preliminary ideas that would shape that work in 1844 in Paris. The work that Marx produced in those years was ultimately never finished but forms an important basis of our understanding of the development of Marx's critical perspectives. In particular, the Paris Documents examine the philosophical concept of alienation, which Marx expertly grounds in the material construction of human existence."
Abstract This paper discusses how Karl Marx and Jean Jacques Rousseau both used chain analogies in order to express and define the problems they believed plagued human society, but Marx primarily interpreted these problems from an economic and political perspective, while Rousseau primarily interpreted them from a social perspective. Consequently, Rousseau's statement, "We have spread garlands over the chains of our existence," differs significantly in meaning from Marx's statement, "Working men of all lands unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains!"
Abstract This paper discusses Karl Marx, an influential thinker for his time. His theoretical approach was ideal for that period, during which people were trying to make sense of the disruptive influences of the rapid industrialization of the Western world. The paper further discusses how over time, it has become apparent that Marx's thinking was also specific to that time. At times, Marx did not fully think through his theories, ignoring what the results would be if what he theorized upon eventually came to pass.
From the Paper "Much has been written about Karl Marx's theories. Marx was an influential thinker whose theories resonate even today, although they were written in terms of the period in which he lived. Because these theories were written with this specific period in mind, however, they are not as strong as they were at that time. Some weaknesses have become apparent in his arguments, arguments that have become apparent over the distance provided by time. Because of these weaknesses, it is important to view Marx's theory with an eye toward a historical approach. Marx was a German-born theorist and activist. His works were revolutionary for their time, putting forth revolutionary ideas that empowered the working class. "
Abstract This paper explores the historical and economic influences that spurred Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels to create their philosophical theories and writings. The author elaborates on their innovative perspectives, especially Marx's view of the bourgeoisie oppressing the working class. Several quotes are included to illustrate this point. The paper also cites how Marx and Engels influenced socialist and communist thought as well as why their belief systems were so difficult to fully achieve in society.
From the Paper "Society, during that era, was composed primarily of individuals who retained the vast proportion of wealth, who Marx called the bourgeoisie, and the workers, whom Marx titled the proletariat. Marx was vehement in his total disdain for the bourgeoisie. The Communist Manifesto states; "The bourgeoisie keeps more and more doing away with the scattered state of the population, of the means of production, and of property. It has agglomerated population, centralized means of production, and has concentrated property in a few hands." (Marx 1988 pp 213-214)."
