Rogerian Thoughts and Views
Carl Rogers was a very complex man who provided a lot of great insight into the psychology world. His work covers such a broad spectrum and speaks to so many topics that it is very hard to pin point exactly what stage his ideas align best with. I think when you take a look at Roger’s view on personality and the idea of an actualizing tendency his ideas align best with creation. He believes that humans are born with a innate drive toward self-actualization. Self-actualizaion is essentially the realization and or fulfillment of one’s full potential. So who gave these people there potential? Who gave humans the ability to realize that there is something they are “destined” for? There must be a creator. There has to be a higher power who appointed each individual with the ability to do certain things and to reach a certain level in their achievements. I believe that Roger’s ideas of self-actualization, and other’s similar ideas, all point towards an all powerful creator who is overseeing the whole process.
On the other hand, I think when we take a look at some of Roger’s other ideas about personality, we will see more of a correlation between the Fall. Rogers talks of how people have this internal desire and need for positive regard. People need to feel accepted, loved and desired by the people around them. But through a Christian perspective this is exactly what we are called not to do. We are told to look for our fulfillment through Christ and Christ alone. We are not called to be a part of the world, just in it. So as soon as humans begin to loo for fulfillment and acceptance from the people around them, that is when we fall. We become so focused on the positive regard from others that we lose sight of who we are meant to be. We lose sight of who Christ has created us to be because we are too concerned with pleasing others that we will change our attitudes to fit what is most acceptable. Carl Rogers has many great ideas that I think can be attributed to both the ideas of Creation and the Fall.
Nicole Nelson on Pierre Flourens
4:04 pm, 10.21.13
Jacey,
I liked your post a lot! You really put Flouren’s in a positive light, and for good reason I believe. It was very intriguing to me, the fact that you put him in with creation. Since he is best known for ablation, I think my automatic assumption was that he should be placed in the Fall category. Because how can someone who destroys what God has created, for the good of science, be put in the category of creation. But I really like how to you went on to explain it and ended up convincing me. I think you bring it all together when you say he just wanted to understand the creation of all these beings. And I really like how you even give some support to him inline with the Fall at the end. Great post!
Nicole Nelson on Darwin and redemption
3:59 pm, 10.21.13
Tyler,
I was very intrigued when I read the first sentence of your post. Because at first thought I definitely would not pin Darwin with redemption. But I was really impressed with how you explained your ideas. I think it would be cool if you went on to explain a bit more about the “perfecting” of a species and how that relates specifically to humans and redemption. You went on a little big about it in your second paragraph, but you focused more on the idea of Social Darwinism. All in all I really liked your post!
Nicole Nelson on The Beauty of Change: Darwin and Creation
3:56 pm, 10.21.13
Hi Savannah,
First off LOVE the picture you chose. It is absolutely beautiful! I think it is very interesting that you took some one who most people would consider to be so far away from any biblical beliefs and you related him to God. I really like your take on it. I like how you talk about God equipping us specifically with the different types of genes we would need in order for evolution processes to come about. I like how you relate God to every aspect that many scientists exclude him from. Very interesting post with a lot of great ideas.
Nicole Nelson on Immanuel Kant
6:06 pm, 10.05.13
Rachel,
Kant was one of the philosophers that caught my attention as well, reading through the text book. So I was happy to see that some one else shared my interest. I also thought the web links you provided were a nice addition to your post. I couldn’t find where you mentioned which step you thought he was aligned with (Creation, Fall, etc.). Maybe you forgot to put it in? But I would love to know which one you think he aligns with, because he holds so strongly to this idea that everything is a fabrication of our minds. So I would assume that he probably does not believe in a God who created everything we see. So would he be aligned with the Fall because he doesn’t believe there is any connection between man and God? I would love to know your take on this. But overall a great, interesting post!
Nicole Nelson on Born free
6:01 pm, 10.05.13
Anna,
I really like how you made the connections between Adam and Eve and Rousseau’s idea that the perfect human exists only outside of society. But at the same time, were Adam and Eve really part of a society? I would venture to say that they were as natural and in touch with nature as it can get, and yet they still fell. How would you relate this idea to Rousseau’s philosophies? Just some food for thought. But I really like how you go on to basically counter Rousseau’s ideas of the “noble savage” I agree in most aspects. I feel like you talked a lot about God creating the “perfect human” or creating man to be a “noble savage” but you didn’t really touch much on the Fall idea behind Rousseau’s philosophies. I know you stated that you believed he aligned with the Creation and the Fall; but I would like to know more about why you think he fits in with the Fall. Great post!
Nicole Nelson on Hume and The Fall
5:56 pm, 10.05.13
Angela,
I was very intrigued by your post. At first I was a little bit confused where you were going with Hume in relation to the Fall. But once you started talking about morality and his ideas of what is real and what isn’t I got what you were going for! I love how you connect all of Hume’s “misconceptions” about morality and about God, to the Fall. Because previously I had viewed the Fall as a period in which humans Fall away from God after already having been with him for some time period. But I think the idea you are going for is more like, humans have never been able to reach him because of Hume’s skewed ideas, thus they have always been separated for him. It is an interesting take on the Fall and I like it! Great post!
Nicole Nelson on Newton Takes us Forward
7:32 pm, 09.21.13
Caroline,
This was a very interesting take on Newton’s philosophies! On first thought I would probably have put Newton under the Fall category, just because he believes that God almost doesn’t care about humans, so thus humans begin to forget about God and forget about the fact that he gave them life, thus they begin to destroy what he has given them. But after reading your post I definitely see where you’re coming from! I love when you talk about Newton fighting against the limitations of this time period. I think that says a lot about his character, which leads me to believe that he probably does support redemption. Like you said he is unwilling to accept the fact that there is only so much humans can do, instead he pushes people to learn as much as they can. So this may lead to people learning that in order to restore their lives to what God originally created they must make an effort in the redemption process. Great post!
Nicole Nelson on
7:28 pm, 09.21.13
Rebecca,
I really like how you comment on the fact that Averroes might not have been perfectly aligned with Christian theology, but the basic ideology he holds still supports the idea of creation. It’s very interesting to consider the fact that someone could be in conflict with the church and yet still support creation and God. But I agree with this post, I think that maybe somewhere along the way Averroes’ ideas got distorted, maybe he originally held God into higher esteem but got lost along the way. Or maybe even the church was in the wrong and he was in the right, it would be interesting to learn more about this. I love where you talk about restoration because of what we have in Christ Jesus, and I think the new heaven and new earth relate very well to Averroes idea of everything being a reflection of God’s influence. Great post!
Nicole Nelson on Erasmus: Recognition of the fall, and Redemption
7:22 pm, 09.21.13
Jacey,
I really like how you compare and contrast all the different aspects of Erasmus! He obviously had a lot of personal, spiritual and emotional issues going on, and yet he still somehow found the good in life and the good in God. I like that fact that you not only say that Erasmus supports redemption but you make a definitive connection between his actions and his support of redemption. I thought it was very interesting when you compared Erasmus and Luther. They are definitely two men on very different sides of the spectrum when it comes to beliefs. Lastly, I really like how you bring in the ideas of free-will and predestination, because I think what a philosopher believes in reference to these two options says a lot about what stage; creation-fall-redepmtion-restoration, they believe in. And I think the belief in free will definitely fits well with redemption. Great post!
Nicole Nelson on Man is the measure of all things
10:13 pm, 09.09.13
Anna,
Very interesting take this! I like how you state that if the ideology is “Man is the measure of all things” than there is no room for God. It is so true! I would have to agree and say that the main reason the “Fall” occurred was because humans began to have to much faith, and almost cockiness in themselves and started to turn away from the creator. And as soon as we as humans make that mistake and start believing that we are able to control our own lives better than God! I also agree when you said that we can’t explain everything through science and reason, so that should probably be a good indication that we obviously don’t know everything and we definitely need a higher power to keep us in check. Great post with a lot of interesting ideas!