In both conceptions, the chaotic and unhappy state of human affairs is said to spring from the tension between the surface appearance, on the one hand, and, on the other, from the hidden, dark, irrational forces that, though unknown, are the true determinants of all that happens. As in Marxism the manifest social, political, cultural status is but a "superstructure" erected upon the underlying economic forces, so in Freud's system conscious conduct is only a product of forces located in the unconscious. "In both, human situations are seen in terms of conflicting interests. Freud's psychology analyzed neuroses as issuing out of a dialectical clash between desire and law. While Freud deals with contradictions within the psychic processes, his method for explaining these contradictions follows a materialistic strategy."
When the conflict between the unconscious forces and the conscious ego reaches a certain intensity, according to Freud, the effect is upheaval, with a disruption of life and conduct. For Marx, in an analogous fashion, social peace is disrupted when the proletariat arises, and that [occurs] when economic forces from below are strong enough to overthrow the existing social, political and economic order. Freud and Marx agree, too, that all events, social and personal, are strictly determined. Both deny spiritual freedom.
The Marxist holds that history is determined by economic forces; the Freudian, that man's personal fate depends on instinctual forces. Both envision the abolishment of inhibitions as the way toward a better state of affairs. The very existence of this parallel in thinking indicates how modern humanity understands or misunderstands itself within the general cultural, intellectual, and philosophical "climate" of the times. Historical materialism, the philosophy of Marx, and psychological materialism, the philosophy of Freud, are children of the same age and express the same basic attitudes.
The complexes, anxieties and fears of the modern soul did not exist to such an extent in previous generations because they were shaken off and integrated in the great social-spiritual organism of Christian Civilization. They are, however, so much a part of modern man that one would think they were tattooed on us. Whatever his or her condition, the modern soul must be brought back to God and happiness. But how? Should the Christian, with his eternal verities, insist that modern souls go back to the traditional approach which started its arguments of Saint Thomas? It would be a saner world if that were possible. But it is the point of this book that we must make a start with modern man as he is, not as we should like to find him. Because our apologetic literature has missed this point, it is about fifty years behind the times. It leaves the modern soul cold, not because its arguments are unconvincing but because the modern soul is too confused to grasp them.
But we who are heirs of twenty centuries of sound thinking must not deal with the supernatural as a dog with a bone. If the modern soul wants to begin its quest for peace with its psychology instead of which our own metaphysics, we will begin with psychology. God's truth would have few facets if it could not start with human nature in any degree of perfection or even of degradation. If the modern man wants to go to God from the Devil, why, then, we will even start with the Devil: that is where the Divine Lord began with Magdalene, and He told His followers that, with prayer and fasting, they too could start their evangelical work there.
The psychological approach offers us no difficulty; for Christian theology is in a certain sense, a psychology, since its primary interest is the soul, the most precious of things. Our Lord balanced a universe against a soul and found the soul worth more than gaining the world. To study souls, is nothing new; in the whole gamut of modern psychology there is nothing written on frustration, fears and the anxieties that can even faintly compare in depth or breath with Saint Thomas's treatise on the Passions, Saint Augustine's Confessions or Bossuet's treatise on Concupiscence.
But it may be asked, is not the modern soul so different from that of previous ages that the older writers lacked experience of such a phenomenon - so that not even the Gospel can offer a cure? No. There is nothing really new in the world; the are only the old problems happening to new people. There is no difference except that of terminology between the frustrated soul of today and the frustrated souls found in the Gospel. Modern man is characterized by three alienation: He is divided from himself from his fellow human beings and from God. These are the same three characteristics of the frustrated youth in the land of the Gerasenes.
1. - SELF-ESTRANGEMENT - The modern person is ................
Page 3
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.
By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
No comments:
Post a Comment