2 Commentsby   |  04.23.13  |  Student Posts

I happen to be fascinated by third-force psychology and the humanistic approach. It is people-oriented, relentlessly positive, and vastly popular. While it is arguably to idealistic and often fails to apply much needed perspective to life situations, it is nonetheless interesting and powerful in many ways. I think a great example of a modern movement is the universalist philosophy: all truth is relative and while we all experience and perceive things differently, what serves as our reality is a valid reality. I personally would love to believe universalism, but I have a very hard time accepting someone’s reality that involves sexual relationships with a child or the extermination of a race as reasonable or even just truths. I think humanistic psychology’s largest strength (it’s acceptance of the uniqueness and individuation of people) is also it’s greatest weakness (at some point a line must me drawn). While most of what is right and wrong in the context of human reason and emotion is “gray area”, most people would agree that at least some ethical questions have answers that are black and white.

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2 Comments

  1. Kelsey Hilton
    5:37 pm, 04.23.13

    I like universalism. I like it because I like it and therefore it is valid because I’m thinking it. Just because someone else does not believe it does not mean that my reality is not true.”It” exists in thought, and therefore “it” exists. I do not think that you need to accept other people’s realities, you just need to acknowledge that they exist. By acknowledging that you are acknowledging yourself because you are generating thoughts and therefore must exist.
    You’re right. It is fascinating. Thanks Carter, for giving me the opportunity to ramble.

  2. Bobby Brown
    2:20 pm, 04.24.13

    I think that universalism has room for the cases you mention as far as odd sexual relationships and racism. It is okay to take a universalism mindset and acknowledge and accept their reality because that gives room to also accept the opposing views that are against those odd balls. Luckily for universalism is that even as against the grain someone might go, there will be much more influence that goes with the grain and will more than balance out the acts of the odd ones. But then again that’s because I have high hopes for humanity. I am not sure if humanism leads me to believe in universalism or vice versa, but I feel the need to claim both in an all or nothing battle.

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