Humanism

                                                        Humanism

Humanism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes the personal worth of the individual and the centrality of human values. The humanistic approach rests on the complex philosophical foundation of existentialism and emphasizes the creative, spontaneous and active nature of human beings. This approach is very optimistic and focuses on noble human capacity to overcome hardship and despair.

Humanistic Theory of Maslow

The focus of the humanistic perspective is on the self. Issues dealing with self-esteem, self-fulfillment, and needs are paramount in this theory. The major focus is to facilitate personal development.

Abraham Maslow feels that individuals have certain needs that must be met in a hierarchical fashion from the lowest to highest. These include basic needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, needs must be achieved in order. For instance, one would be unable to fulfill one’s safety needs if one’s physiological needs have not been met.

Maslow views human needs or motives as forming a hierarchy:

1.     Physiological needs: At the bottom are the basic, primitive needs for air, food, water-those things we have to have to survive.

2.     Safety and physical security needs: They include shelter from weather, protection against tigers, etc. They are very important but not quite as important as the physiological needs.

3.     Love and belongingness needs: They refer to companionship, acceptance from others, affection, etc.

4.     Esteem needs: These are the needs for a sense of mastery and power, that is, the needs for appreciation from others.

5.     Self actualization: It is the tendency to become whatever one is capable of becoming. It is the highest of human motives. In trying to describe the process of self-actualization. Maslow focuses on moments when self actualization is clearly occurring.

Humanistic Theory of Rogers

The idea that we are responsible for our own lives, embodied in existentialism, is exemplified in the work of Carl Rogers. However, Rogers’ approach is extremely optimistic. He believes that the organism has one basic tendency and strives to actualize, maintain and enhance the experiencing organism. That its, all people have a tendency towards growth. In the course of pursuing self-actualization, people engage in what Rogers called the organismic valuing process. Experiences that are perceived as enhancing to oneself are valued as good and are therefore sought after. Experiences perceived as not enhancing are valued as bad and are avoided.

Carl Rogers feels that each person operates from a unique frame of reference in terms of building self-regard or their self concept. Self-concept is one’s own belief about oneself. These beliefs stem partly from the notion of unconditional positive regard and partly conditional positive Humanism

Humanism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes the personal worth of the individual and the centrality of human values. The humanistic approach rests on the complex philosophical foundation of existentialism and emphasizes the creative, spontaneous and active nature of human beings. This approach is very optimistic and focuses on noble human capacity to overcome hardship and despair.

Humanistic Theory of Maslow

The focus of the humanistic perspective is on the self. Issues dealing with self-esteem, self-fulfillment, and needs are paramount in this theory. The major focus is to facilitate personal development.

Abraham Maslow feels that individuals have certain needs that must be met in a hierarchical fashion from the lowest to highest. These include basic needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, needs must be achieved in order. For instance, one would be unable to fulfill one’s safety needs if one’s physiological needs have not been met.

Maslow views human needs or motives as forming a hierarchy:

6.     Physiological needs: At the bottom are the basic, primitive needs for air, food, water-those things we have to have to survive.

7.     Safety and physical security needs: They include shelter from weather, protection against tigers, etc. They are very important but not quite as important as the physiological needs.

8.     Love and belongingness needs: They refer to companionship, acceptance from others, affection, etc.

9.     Esteem needs: These are the needs for a sense of mastery and power, that is, the needs for appreciation from others.

10.            Self actualization: It is the tendency to become whatever one is capable of becoming. It is the highest of human motives. In trying to describe the process of self-actualization. Maslow focuses on moments when self actualization is clearly occurring.

Humanistic Theory of Rogers

The idea that we are responsible for our own lives, embodied in existentialism, is exemplified in the work of Carl Rogers. However, Rogers’ approach is extremely optimistic. He believes that the organism has one basic tendency and strives to actualize, maintain and enhance the experiencing organism. That its, all people have a tendency towards growth. In the course of pursuing self-actualization, people engage in what Rogers called the organismic valuing process. Experiences that are perceived as enhancing to oneself are valued as good and are therefore sought after. Experiences perceived as not enhancing are valued as bad and are avoided.

Carl Rogers feels that each person operates from a unique frame of reference in terms of building self-regard or their self concept. Self-concept is one’s own belief about oneself. These beliefs stem partly from the notion of unconditional positive regard and partly conditional positive regard. Unconditional positive regard occurs when individuals, especially parents, demonstrate unconditional love. Conditional positive regard occurs when that love seems to only come when certain conditions are met.

That is to say, Rogers theory states that psychologically healthy people enjoy life to the fullest, and hence are seen as fully functioning ones.