PSYCHOLOGY AS PRESCRIPTION

The 'Warning from History' and 'The Warning comes true' are two different situations connected by a common theme:

 The use of psychology to impose a set of beliefs and values

Now there is one area of human activity throughout its history that has been associated with beliefs and values; and that is religion. But how could the Chinese Atheist Communism of the 1950s, or present day secular group discussion, counselling, or self-awareness sessions; both be described as 'religion'? Well, religion is a dangerous subject. Anyone who has had a social occasion or a friendship spoiled by an argument about religion, knows this. Like many arguments, those about religion are often caused by failure to agree what is being talked about. So for one person: their view of the word ‘religion’ is made up of angry and guilty memories of being brought up as a Roman Catholic, a strick Jew, or a Muslim. For another person: religion is about a very private faith with a set of personal values. For yet another person: religion is something that other people stupidly believe in; and it has been the cause of bigotry, persecution and wars. Clearly, religion means different things to different people, so it’s no surprise that they argue and can’t find agreement about it. But although there are many religions and many different views of what religions are about; there is one underlying thing common to all of them:

Religions are about beliefs and values

This is the point where we need to be cautious and remember the logic that tells us that: 'although grass is green, not everything that is green is grass'. So just because prescriptive psychology is also about beliefs and values, that does not automatically make it a religion. Let's go further, however. Yes, the fact that a tiger is dangerous and a lion is dangerous does not mean that a tiger is a lion. It does mean,however, that they are both both need be treated with similar caution because they are dangerous. So whether we choose to label prescriptive psychology as a religion or not; we find that it shares important characteristics with religion; and if we want to learn what prescriptive psychology is really about, then what better than to hear what the greatest psychologist of all said about it. His name was Sigmund Freud and here's what he said:

If  you wish to expel religion from our European civilization, you can only do it through another system of doctrine; and from the outset, this would take over all the characteristics of religion.

 

In our historical example, the atheist Communists had a set of beliefs and values which they tried to spread by propaganda and force. In our present day example, secular group counselling and self awareness sessions seemed to be open and free, but they always included some form of 'enabler' who intended to pass on a set of beliefs and values. For prescribed psychology then, as the Indiana poet James Whitcomb Riley said: 'When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck'. So although the fact that tigers and lions are both dangerous does not mean that they are the same animal; it does mean that they need to be regarded and treated in the same way when it comes to danger. Similarly, when imposed prescriptive psychology takes over with 'all the characteristics of religion' then it needs to be regarded and treated in the same way as religion.

Psychology as Religion . . .