Sheldon Solomon - Teach These Souls to Fly (Part 2 (of 9))

Sheldon Solomon talks about Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death (1973) to explain how fear of death, and denial thereof, is a central determinant of human behavior. He and his colleagues created Terror Management Theory and demonstrated empirically that death denial underlies human prejudice and violent conflict. More important for this talk, however, is research suggesting that the enabling and ennobling illusions of religion/spirituality have psychologically beneficial effects. These findings are at odds with current thinking by evolutionary psychologists that supernatural religious beliefs are non-adaptive or intrinsically malignant. See www.ernestbecker.org for more information.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• death
• dying
• fear
• Becker
• terror
• management
• religion

[logotrix]

ALTHOUGH INTELLIGENCE IS VASTLY OVERRATED UNLESS ITS COMPLIMENTED WITH SOME OTHER MORAL AND ETHICAL SENSIBILITIES...

love him.

[woodbell67]

I am a person of value in a world of meaning.I am a person of value in a world of meaning.I am a person of value in a world of meaning.I am a person of value in a world of meaning.I am a person of value in a world of meaning.I am a person of value in a world of meaning.I am a person of value in a world of meaning.I am a person of value in a world of meaning.I am a person of value in a world of meaning.I am a person of value in a world of meaning.I am a person of value in a world of meaning.

[dantean]

@skepticoz His genius is in synthesizing ideas. It's not clear to me that what he says is just regurgitating of Becker, Kierkegaard, Rank, et. al. The clarity of his presentation offers what seems a transparent window onto the thought of these admittedly greater thinkers. His gift--perhaps genius--is 4 strong, seemingly undeniable interpretation as It is not only easy but characteristic of humans 2 read what they wish into texts--think the Bible has had only 1 interpretation over the centuries?

[skepticoz]

@ToddBoyle You think? I would call this derivative if it were maths. He seems to be paraphrasing Becker and Kierkegaard extensively. I realized what Kierkegaard revealed as monumental wisdom (regarding self-awareness) at the age of eight, before I even knew what the word philosophy meant. That religion is born of our fearing our own mortality is something I agree with. I seem to have also derived that independently. I don't see what is even original here, let alone genius. Though I fully concur.

[skepticoz]

"Churches... ...Make life pleasant" WTF? Yeah, pleasant like clubbing yourself over the head with a mallet. This guy's gunning for the Templeton prize methinks.

[ToddBoyle]

This guy is a freakin *genius*. really.

[ToddBoyle]

Great presentation here!

[sam221229]

way do people try to stay alive so much if there not a judgement, it is fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god being to smart can kill you, but i hope you wake up love bud i know with out a ppb

[shakanunu]

Great, great, great. I've read and reread and reread "Denial of Death". So much wisdom crammed into such a small book.