Maslow: Restoration
I would classify Maslow as a restoration philosopher. His hierarchy of needs does several things that clearly depict a restorative theme. First, he restores the humanity to humans from the Behaviorist view of man. He says that the needs at the bottom of the hierarchy are basic and more similar to those needs of other animals, but the higher up the hierarchy you go, the more uniquely human the needs become. Second, Maslow’s hierarchy emphasizes self-actualization. Self-actualization is a restorative concept in itself. It essentially means reaching one’s potential. Self-actualizing requires “a great deal of honest knowledge of oneself,” which is a restorative trait of humanistic psychology. He says that self-actualizing people are concerned with all humans instead of with only their friends, relatives, and acquaintances, they have a strong ethical sense but do not necessarily accept conventional ethics, they are creative, etc. These traits reveal a restored view of man– that he is more than an animal and has a hope of becoming great. Not only does it restore humanity to the behavioristic machine man, but Maslow’s hierarchy even seems to be a formula for restoring man. If he can meet his lower needs, working up the ladder, he can eventually become a full, thriving individual with the capacity to care, create, and appreciate the world.
Haley Conaway on Kierkegaard: Creation or Redemption?
10:52 pm, 10.07.13
I like thinking of Kierkegaard as a Redemption philosopher. He did try to redeem Christianity by changing the focus from dogma to personal individual relationship which was existential in that it emphasized the individual person as a free and responsible agent of his or her own development.
I have a harder time thinking of him as a creation philosopher. To me creation is characterized by order and rationalism being birthed out of chaos (darkness/ surface of the deep), but Kierkegaard seeks to move from “order” and dogma to a more subjective state of truth.
Haley Conaway on First we Fall, then we Soren
11:40 pm, 10.04.13
Hahah! This is a great title!
Haley Conaway on Gutenberg and The Renaissance
10:41 pm, 09.22.13
These are great points. I would classify Gutenberg with Redemption. After a period coined “the dark ages” where there was a limited spread of new ideas and very little creativity, the Gutenberg press really “redeemed” this dark period. This invention paved the way for an influx of new ideas, books, theology, and really- a whole new society.
Haley Conaway on Luther and the Fall
9:46 pm, 09.22.13
I can see how you would classify Luther with the fall. There was a lot of emphasis on the fallenness and depravity of man during the Medieval period- there was an obsession with penance and confession and going through the church to be made “right” with God again. However, the Renaissance is marked by personal religion rather than through the church, and Luther was a leader in this agenda. While many of Luther’s ideals are more strict and conservative than those you find today, he was actually very revolutionary and liberal in his beliefs about the Bible and faith in Christ’s righteousness for sanctification. The ideas of the fall that you talk about may have been more leftovers from the previous time period. However, Luther does talk a lot about the fallenness of man and His need for Jesus. I’m not sure you can be a Christian without the recognition of your need for a Savior, so I definitely agree that on those grounds, Luther could be classified with the fall. 🙂
Haley Conaway on Redemption: The Renaissance Way
9:25 pm, 09.22.13
I like this viewpoint on the Renaissance as a redemption of religion. While many of the ideas and religions practiced were not that of our faith, it did pave the way for a focus on personal relationship with God. During this time many women like Margery Kemp and Joan of Ark claimed to hear God’s voice. It probably brought about a lot more individual freedom and creativity as well.
Haley Conaway on Aristotle- Creation
12:00 am, 09.10.13
I like relating Aristotle’s pursuit of the function of humans to creation. However, I see in nearly every philosopher the desire to re-create man as fitting into whatever new philosophy they devise.
Haley Conaway on In the Beginning...
11:25 pm, 09.09.13
I love this Irene! I do think it is interesting when Ecclesiastes says that there is nothing new under the sun. I love that only God can create new things. His mercies are NEW each morning, and he makes us into NEW creations. That is beautiful to me.
Haley Conaway on Plato's Allegory and Redemption
8:04 pm, 09.09.13
I like that! I think there are many similarities between Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and the Redemption that God offers us. Jesus said, “Woe to those who have eyes but do not see and ears but do not hear.” In many ways, before God rescues us and we are caught in and led by His gaze (Psalm 32:8- I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you) we are unseeing and though we have eyes, we do not see fully what is truly happening around us. There is a greater reality that we are unaware of.