Question

8. What does the humanistic/existential approach say about free will? How does this conflict with what a behaviorist might say? A Freudian? Which argument do you find to be most compelling?

Answer 1

Humanistic/Existential Approach:
The Humanistic approach and Existential approach is the therapeutic style which give importance to clients’ subjective experiences and is concerned about the positive growth, rather than pathology. It believe that client have the capacity for self-awareness and choice. Humanistic perspective views human nature as good, and believes that they can maintain healthy and meaningful relationships. Humanistic therapy helps the clients to relieve themselves from hurdles that block them from leading a complete life.
The existentialist helps the client to fight philosophical meaning about their problems. They believe that client’s problems are due to their unawareness about making choices that help to lead a meaningful life.

Humanistic/Existential approach and free will:
One of the main assumptions of humanistic approach is that humans have a free will. Free will is the ability to make choices about how we act, assume and behave. Humanistic/Existential approach emphasize on the concept that individuals possess “Free Will” in choosing their life and taking decisions.

Humanistic/Existential approach and behaviourism:
Humanistic approach is the study of the whole person and it believes that his/her behaviour is related to their inner feelings and self concept. It is based on the idea that people have free will and innate ability to make themselves better persons. It gives importance to subjective perception. On the other hand behaviourist theory emphasizes the concern of observable behaviour rather than internal events. It is based on the idea that behaviour is the result of stimulus, which is the result of his/her environment.
Both humanism and behaviourism is the study of human behaviour, but both of them have opposing arguments like “Free Will” versus “No Free Will”. Behaviourism believes that individuals are shaped by their environment, while humanism believes that individuals are shaped by their innate drives.

Humanistic/Existential approach and Freudian approach:
Freudian concept is based on the idea that human behaviour is dominated by childhood experience that affect their understanding of recent events. It comprises conscious–unconscious dimensions. It states that repressed feelings in the unconscious mind can affect their current or future life. On the other hand humanistic approach believes that innate drives play a vital role in one’s life.

Out of the 4 approaches we discussed so far, behaviourism is the most compelling one. It is the only one which is influenced by external factors, whereas all the other 3 depend on one’s innate drives, repressed feelings, and so on; which are internal traits on which the individual have/can control on.