A Psychology of Ultimate Concern [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION ERIKSON'S PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION: A FIRST INTRODUCTION PURPOSE AND PLAN OF THIS STUDY Erik Homburger Erikson is primarily known as the author of the life-cycle theory1, a schema of psychosocial development. A summary of this theory is seldom lacking in the main survey works on personality development, and its psychological concepts are widely used and referred to. Evidently, Erikson is considered an important theorist. It is rarely recognized, however, that his status as a theorist is somewhat problematic. Erikson indicates this himself by saying that he is 'inept in theoretical discussion'2. Indeed, his work - which consists of essays rather than theoretical exposés - is characterized by a lack of systematic rigor. First of all, it is very difficult to classify his psychology. Erikson is an originál and innovative thinker with a psychological style very much of his own. Having originally trained as a psychoanalyst, he has extended the rangé of his studies to fields as diverse as generál psychology and pedagogy, cultural anthropology, sociology and history, and the cultural reflection on modern society and its problems. For that matter, his psychology cannot be identified simply with psychoanalysis, as it sometimes is. Moreover the status of his psychological concepts is rather unclear, and his terminology is occasionally inconsistent and fluctuating. In revised versions of earlier work he introduces later terminology without accounting for possible theoretical implications, thus confusing his readers. He adopts concepts and approaches from various disciplines, though he always adjusts them to his own theoretical insights. He seldom quotes authors, or mentions the sources of the specific psychological ideas and terms he uses. All in all one could say that Erikson's psychology has a slightly idiosyncratic character. Secondly the essentially rudimentary character of his psychology must be mentioned. Erikson himself warns his readers that the interdisciplinary approach to humán life and development, to which he wants to contribute, has