Hey folks.
Here’s a space to start building our Terms and Ideas lists for Erich Fromm’s “Disobedience As A Psychological And Moral Problem.” I’ll post the essay here and two ways to download it.
Read it, then comment in the terms and ideas format (brush up on that here), but since the final exam is VERY important, do FIVE terms and at least TWO ideas. Try to add to our group knowledge by looking at what has already been posted, so that there’s less repetition. If you see a term or idea someone has posted that you could add value to, please reply to their comment!
After you read this essay, post a reply using the “terms and ideas” model. Watch the Terms and Ideas” video and read more about that model here.
A reminder on the form:
- Read the article (or essay or poem) first. Take note of things you need to look up. Look them up. Check that you are using a definition that makes sense.
- Mark sections of the text that introduce interesting ideas. This is much easier to do if you are reading on paper! If you are reading on-screen, write notes in a notebook. I know, it’s easier not to, but you will really, really wish you had done this when it is time to write a paper on this topic. Plus it makes you smarter.
- In you reply, list at least 3 terms you looked up. This can mean just looking a word up in the dictionary — such as “tabernacle,” in the James Baldwin — or looking up a broader concept — such as “Congo Square” in wikipedia or similar. (Yes, wikipedia is fine for this purpose.)
- PROVIDE A SOURCE FOR YOUR DEFINITION. If you copy it word for word — which is fine for this assignment — PUT IT IN QUOTATION MARKS. You don’t need to use full MLA format for this assignment, though you are welcome to. A URL in parentheses or a link is fine. But get in the habit of giving credit to your sources.
- Next, write 1-3 paragraphs about an idea in the text you think is worth further examination.
- After making your reply, return to the post and comment on 2-3 of your classmates’ replies. You may learn something! There are a lot of smart people around here.
Prometheus : “in Greek religion, one of the Titans, the supreme trickster, and a god of fire.” -https://www.britannica.com/topic/Prometheus-Greek-god
Page 1
Atomic Age : “The Atomic Age, also known as the Atomic Era, is the period of history following the detonation of the first nuclear weapon.” – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_Age
Page 2
Sovereignty: “supreme power especially over a body politic” -https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereignty
Page 2
Heteronomous obedience: “Heteronomy is the quality of thought or action compelled by a force outside the individual.” -https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Heteronomy
Page 2
Irreconcilable: unable to come to an agreement or common ground -www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/irreconcilable
Page 2
I agree with how obedience and disobedience can be very subjective with different points of view and how different religions throughout history show different examples from the christians to the greeks. Because without “disobedience” in religious history than we wouldn’t have what we call the human race today.
It shows that sometimes these sacrifices are necessary to make life better or for the common good. I think it goes to show that we need to make these decisions in order to grow as human beings whether others may look down upon them, at the end of the day these are our mistakes and our choices. What we make of them are what makes us unique.
TERMS
Messianic – of or relating to any popular leader promising deliverance or an ideal era of peace and prosperity (Source: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/messianic)
Antigone – the main character of the tragedy of the same name written by Sophacles; famed in Greek mythology for her unwavering beliefs (Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigone_(Sophocles_play); https://www.greekboston.com/culture/mythology/antigone/)
Atomic Age – the period of history following the detonation of the first nuclear bomb (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_Age)
Heteronomous – subjected to external controls and impositions (Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heteronomous)
Omniscience – the state of knowing everything (Source: https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/)
IDEAS
I think it’s an extremely first world concept to be able to protest and voice our opinions against our government, religion, society, etc. According to Erich Fromm, obedience has done more damage to society than disobedience. This is evident in countries like China, where the censorship of the media is used to maintain the status quo. Political protesters and journalists are closely monitored and often arrested for perpetuating ideas that are unfavorable to the government. In the United States, we are encouraged from a young age to be individuals, that disruptors are the ones who make history, and I feel we often forget that being able to disobey and protest is a huge privilege, when in some developing countries women aren’t able to drive cars or receive educations, and those who disrupt are severely punished.
Terms:
1. Omniscience- the quality or state of being omniscient
source – https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omniscience
2. Prometheus- a Titan who is chained and tortured by Zeus for stealing fire from heaven and giving it to humankind
source- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Prometheus
3. Antagonistic-showing dislike or opposition : marked by or resulting from antagonism
Source- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antagonistic
4. Atomic Age- The Atomic Age, also known as the Atomic Era, is the period of history following the detonation of the first nuclear weapon, The Gadget at the Trinity test in New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, during World War II
Source-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_Age#:~:text=The%20Atomic%20Age%2C%20also%20known,1945%2C%20during%20World%20War%20II.
5. heteronomous obedience- Obedience to a person, institution or power (heteronomous obedience) is submission; it implies the abdication of my autonomy and the acceptance of a foreign will or judgment in place of my own. Obedience to my own reason or conviction (autonomous obedience) is not an act of submission but one of affirmation.
Source- https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8228026-if-a-man-can-only-obey-and-not-disobey-he#:~:text=Obedience%20to%20a%20person%2C%20institution,submission%20but%20one%20of%20affirmation.
Disobedience: refusal or neglect to obey
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disobedience
Messianic: of or relating to a messiah
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/messianic
Prometheus: Greek Mythology. Titan who went against the back of Zeus to give Man the gift of fire to help with struggles.
https://www.worldhistory.org/Prometheus/
Virtue: morally good behavior or character
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virtue
Vice: bad or immoral behavior or habits
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vice
After reading Erich Fromm’s work, on page 2, the author talks about how “Man has continued to to evolve by acts of disobedience” and gives us examples from human history through Hebrew and Greek Myths such as Adam and Even and Prometheus. It interesting that the author explains that we are taught to obey is a virtue and to disobey as a vice. Those in power have put fear to those afraid to disobey them and their laws. Fromm has showed us that disobeymeny has its benefits because it brings the change people need. This makes me think about the Civil Rights movement where leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and others who disobeyed racial segregation laws such as Jim Crow laws. They knew it was not right and unjust and refused to obey what the government passed. There were people who were afraid if they disobey it but still did so to bring the necessary change for people of color to get the equal rights they fully deserve.
Terms:
1. Dichotomy: a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en
2. Archaic: very old or old-fashioned.
https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en
3. Sovereignty: supreme power or authority.
4. Clichés: a phrase or opinion that is overused and
betrays a lack of original thought.
5. humanistic conscience: the type of conscience that is guided by individual standards and not by fear of external authority. Compare authoritarian conscience. [ defined by Erich Fromm ]
https://dictionary.apa.org/humanistic-conscience
The concepts of obedience and disobedience are due to the natural fight between what is right or not. According to Erich ideas in “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem” both of those ideas couldn’t exist without the other, stating that if you obey something you will disobey its contrary. Therefore, there is nothing right or wrong if this is not taken to extreme points. I believe that humans carry out both actions in his identity, we can’t be completely submissive to someone else’s ideas, but we can agree with those that benefit the majority.
It is curious for me how Erich Fromm relates to the beginning of the humanity with an act of disobey, separating humans from its divine origin and open it to a variety of feelings and decisions forming an independent thinking and mankind itself.
1. Messianic – “Relating to the Messiah”.
2. Vice – “Immoral or wicked behavior”.
3. Sovereignty – “Supreme power or authority.”
4. Irreconcilable – “Representing findings or points of view that are so different from each other that they cannot be made compatible.”
5. Antigone – “A daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta who buries her brother Polynices’ body against the order of her uncle Creon”.
Sources: https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Ideas:
The idea that Enrich Fromm introduces about how humans only evolve through disobedience is what stuck out to me. Enrich explains that it started with Adam & Eve, continued with Prometheus, and now continues with all humans. The idea is backed up by history. In my opinion, I do see what Enrich means when he said “Man has continued to evolve by acts of disobedience. Not only was his spiritual
development possible only because there were men who dared to say no to the powers that be in
the name of their conscience or their faith”. The quote from the text is explaining that not only is Man disobedient but the only reason development was possible was because of disobediance.
This was really good I was thinking about the similarities we had in common .
Terms:
Atomic Age: The period in history initiated by the first use of the atomic bomb and characterized by atomic energy as a military, political, and industrial factor.
Dichotomy: Division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs.
Martyrs:a Person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion.
Omniscience:The quality or state of being omniscient.
Debilitate:To make weak or feeble; enfeeble.
Source:”https://www.dictionary.com”
Ideas:
I think the debate obedience and disobedience is a natural ” problem” between human and technically all living matters.
Some disobedience can cause massive problems and some actually lead to good causes according to Enrich article that “Adam and Eve disobey and cut the umbilical cord” and also when Enrich says”Man has continued to evolve by acts of disobedience” this shows that disobedience is jus the part of human evolving as time flys. If disobedience was not a idea then this world would not be this advanced.