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John of Stoats's avatar

There does seem to be a link between the rise of psychoanalysis and the refinement of behavioural science over the last 100 or so years, with the subsequent demise of organised religion in the West.

The promotion of the health of the individual psyche displaced the general collective moral guidance derived from Christianity to improve individual happiness as part of a cohesive society. You can trace this line of thinking chronologically through Nietzsche, Freud, Jung and Bernays. Jung talked about the individuation process for instance where your task is to develop your whole personality.

It seems that today however people are considerably less happy than our grandparents were despite more material wealth. The pursuit of some type of individual growth is not really working too well.

It is notable that this has not happened to the other main religions.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Putin had a close advisor, don't remember the name, who pushed hard for the promotion and revival of the Orthodox church as he could see the malaise that had set in in the West.

One very interesting thing about Jung however was that he arrived back at square one in a way and was in fact a very spiritual thinker as he became older. Progressivism is not going to be the new religion of the West, it has no spiritual root.

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Dec 13, 2023
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John of Stoats's avatar

You are a white supremacist Nazi.

I think you're wasting your time here.

Ireland traditionally supports the freedom of the individual and family values.

Stephen Sutton's avatar

I blocked that account, clearly an agitator

John of Stoats's avatar

I'm still seeing his comments