Freedom Through the Cultivation of Humanness: Philosophy, Psychology and the Authentic Self

<p>Authenticity as put forth by the existentialists is essential for a complete view of human nature within psychology. Authenticity arises out of an honest and active relationship to one’s freedom and inauthenticity arises out of a dishonest and passive relationship to one’s freedom. Behaviorists and Humanistic psychologists disagree about the nature of the self and the degree of human freedom. Behaviorists see the self as heavily determined and as a collection of reactions to the environment. As such, the individual can be understood fully through external observation. In contrast, Existential and Humanistic psychologists see the self as unique and highly' subjective. Since humans are uniquely self-defining individuals must be studied phenomenologically with reference to the subjects relationship to the self. Humanistic and Existential psychologists assert that freedom and authenticity are defining characteristics of being human and thus a complete psychology must reflect this.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Humanities

Year

2012

Author dc:creator

• Sherick, Bequia

Contributors dc:contributor

• Christian Dean, PhD
• LeeAnn Bartolini, PhD

• Humanities
• Arts and Humanities

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholar.dominican.edu/humanities-print-theses/292

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.dominican.edu:humanities-print-theses-1291