Universal Thinkers Tutorial Notes

Literature Section Universal Thinkers The following three men were 19th and 20th century psychologists and authors who made it their life’s goal to understand the human condition. You will hear their names often in future psychology, sociology, and history classes. Based on their studies, all three thinkers believed that there are more similarities between people around the globe than differences. In fact, they all determined that human have the same fundamental needs, desires, and fears. They believed these similarities could be expressed in different ways –from an individual’s dreams to a society’s stories. Sigmund Freud: The Conscious and Unconscious Mind Freud didn't exactly invent the idea of the conscious versus unconscious mind, but he certainly was responsible for making it popular. Freud compared himself to an archaeologist digging away layers of the human mind, and identified two separate areas. Freud described the conscious mind, which consists of all the mental processes of which we are aware. For example, you may be feeling thirsty at this moment and decide to get a drink. You may be concerned about an upcoming test and decide to study. The unconscious mind, on the other hand, contains our biologically based instincts or the primitive urges for sex and aggression. While we are fully aware of what is going on in the conscious mind, we have no idea of what information is stored in the unconscious mind. According to Freud, the unconscious contains all sorts of significant and disturbing material which we need to keep out of awareness because they are too threatening to acknowledge fully. So, the unconscious is not like a dustbin containing unimportant or irrelevant thoughts. Rather, it is precisely because they are so powerful that they are kept buried. Nevertheless, they exert a significant influence. Carl Jung: The Collective Unconscious Carl Jung, the psychologist who coined the term “archetypes,” was greatly influenced by his predecessor Sigmund Freud. Jung introduced the idea of a “collective unconscious.” He shared Freud belief in the unconscious but added to the theory by arguing that everyone’s unconscious contains the same basic material. Jung proposed that archetypes (or universal images and ideas) are stored and transferred across generations in humankind’s “collective unconscious.” In a way, he believed that our minds are pre-programmed with the stories and images of our ancestors. For example, he believed that everyone is born with an unconscious concept of good and evil. He would argue that everyone in the world associates water with life and rebirth. He arrived at many of his theories on archetypes by analyzing the images and symbols that appeared in his patients’ dreams. Joseph Campbell: The Hero with a Thousand Faces Joseph Campbell was an American professor and mythologist working in the 20th century. He was influenced by both Freud and Jung, as well as his extensive study of myths and religions from around the world. Campbell is best known for applying Jung’s idea of archetypes to literature in order to the trace the similarities between cultures. Based on much study, Campbell found that most of the stories from around the world contain many of the same characters, symbols, and patterns. In particular, he believed that all myths revolved around a protagonist, or hero, and that this hero’s story usually followed the pattern of the “hero’s journey.” In 1949, Campbell published The Hero with a Thousand Faces which traces this monomyth through various cultures. Literature Section Literature Section