Lesson 8 - Key Figures in Romanticism and Existentialism

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Founder of Romanticism.

Noble Savage; Rousseau

People are born innately good.

Civilization

Corrupts natural goodness and causes selfishness; Rousseau

General Will; Rousseau

What's best for society, not individual desires.

Impact on Psychology (Rousseau)

Influenced the view that society shapes individuals.

Free Will; Rousseau

Believed __________ was unnecessary for happiness.

Subjective Inner Experience

An important concept for both romanticism and existential psychology.

Opposing Forces (Goethe)

Life is full of __________ (life/death, love/hate) and should be lived passionately.

Impact on Psychology (Goethe)

Inspired a holistic view of human nature — embracing emotion and all aspects of life itself passionately

Arthur Schopenhauer

Pessimistic philosophy rooted in Kant and Eastern thought.

The Will

The driving force behind all existence and human suffering.

How “Will” effects us; Schopenhauer

Life is a cycle of unfulfilled desire; pleasure is temporary, suffering constant.

True Relief; Schopenhauer

Comes only through denial of desire (asceticism), art, or music.

Impact on Psychology (Schopenhauer)

Made it okay to be a pessimist and made it clear that the will came first

and intellect with reason came second

Søren Kierkegaard

Founder of Existentialism.

Subjective; Kierkegaard

Truth is _____ and must be experienced personally.

Three Stages of Personal Freedom; Kierkegaard

Aesthetic (exciment-seeking), ethical (driven by others’ ethics), and religious (authentic, faith-based).

Impact on Psychology (Kierkegaard)

Emphasis on the idea of freedom exercised through choice

Friedrich Nietzsche

Radical existentialist philosopher, critic of religion and morality.

God is Dead; Nietzsche

Humans must find meaning without religion.

Will to Power

The core human drive for growth and dominance.

Übermensch; Nietzsche

Superior individual who transcends morality.

Perspectivism'; Nietzsche

There is no absolute truth, only subjective perspectives known as ______

Impact on Psychology (Nietzsche)

Prized freedom and the human potential to choose meaning in life.

Legacy of Kierkegaard

Addressed a concern that materialism and conformity were crushing the human spirit.

Private will; Rousseau

The desires of the individual