Sigmund Freud has dealt with the nature and source of
religion in many of his writings. The abstract of these comments is the idea that
religion is reducable to a universal neurosis.
Freud deals with religion in three main writings of his. They are "
Moses and
Monotheism", "Totem and
Taboo", and "
Civilization and its Discontents".
Though Freud sees monotheism as a more psychologically mature progression of religion than that of
polytheism, he sees the slaying of the primal
father as the main source for the inner need for God.
This idea can be seen in such religions as
Judaism where its followers consider themselves to be God's "chosen people". This reflects the psychcial need to be accepted by the illusionary father figure.
In "Civilization and its Discontents" Freud responds to
French author Romain
Roland and his idea of the "oceanic feeling". The oceanic feeling is one that many people claim to experience in which they feel
infininte and universal, or at one with the world. Roland proposed that this personal oceanic feeling is the same feeling that prompts religious icons to found their religion (such as did Moses and
Jesus). Freud argues that religion is born solely to fufill the needs that the father can provide such as security, and religious
ritual is just a shell for this 'oceanic feeling'.
In the favor of religion, Freud does recognize that religion is resposible for many of the accomplishments that society produced such as
fine art,
architecture, and
science. He does go on to state that religion
has exhausted its use in modern society, and
psychoanalysis is to take its place in solving the personal problems of individuals and comforting them in thier times of need.