A Critique of Carl Rogers, Self Theory, Study notes of Dynamics

Download A Critique of Carl Rogers, Self Theory and more Study notes Dynamics in PDF only on Docsity! 286 Institute for Christian Teaching Education Department of Seventh-day Adventists Humanistic Forces versus The Dynamics of Faith: A Critique of Carl Rogers, Self Theory by Hyacinth P. Rose Teacher Education West Indies College Mandeville, Jamaica Prepared for the 18th International Faith and Learning Seminar held at West Indies College Mandeville, Jamaica- June 16-28, 1996 266-96 Institute for Christian Teaching 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA 287 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Rogers' Theory of the Self Dynamics of Faith: The Christian Viewpoint A Critique of Carl Rogers' Self Theory Summary and Conclusion Selected References 290 His work gave rise to the concept of the Human Potential Movement which focuses on two aspects (1) a new consciousness as to what the individual can become and (2) the rights and needs of the individual. (Ibid) Rogers' greatest contribution to psychology is in the area of man's individuality and self responsibility since he sees the self as ~All of the individual's perception of his organism, of his experiences and of the way in which those perceptions are related to other perceptions and objects in his environment, and to the whole exterior world." (Evans p.16) He agrees with Jung, that the self if on a continuous path to actualization, buut if it becomes static in any aspects of its development, maladjustment occurs. Self actualization is thus viewed by Rogers as the individual's awareness and acceptance of his development and changes in complexity toward a balanced self. (P. 16,17) Rogers uses the 'self' interchangeably with "self c9ncept" and defines it as an organized consistent pattern of characteristics of the ~I" and "me" of the inclusion of values attached to attributes. (Davidoff 1987, pp.423-428) According to him the conscious self may be incongruent with one's unconscious needs and feelings, therefore he sees Personality Theory as based upon the relationship between the self - your conscious view of yourself, the qualities that make up the "I" and "me" - and the organism - the sum of all the experiences including unconscious feelings, perceptions and wishes. He argues that one's behaviour is influenced by one's subjective reality, and not on the external reality. (Wade & Tavris, 1987, pp.410-411). The fully functioning person is seen by Rogers to experience congruence or harmony between the self and the organism. Such a person is trusting, confident and open to new ideas. Consequently, childhood becomes a crucial period for personality development, because genetic, social and environmental forces set 5 291 constraints and limits on the individual, but these limits can be ~stretched,n to accommodate the individual's development. With reference to ghetto lifestyle, Rogers claims that the influences of childhood and society, do shape individuals, but ~rt is the person himself who is able to understand these factors that have contributed to who he is, and choose his own future." (Evans p. 76) The concept of Rogers' self determinism which places self at the core of existence, became the basis for his "I" - "thou" client-centered relationship, which is non-directive in its approach. This type of therapy is in contrast to the Freudian concept of resorting to the patient's hisroty. It is also key to self discovery. (Evans p. 106) Rogers' hypothesis that the individual has within him vast resources and his self understanding, and for altering his self concept, his attitude and his self-directed behaviour, championed his disagreement with the behaviourist concept, that the environment is the sole determinant of a person's behavior. (Ibid p.124) He argued that if man acts as he is forced to act, then man's thoughts, decisions, choices and values are just illusions. He therefore concluded that man's behavious is deterministic based not on cause - effect, but on experiences which are inherently in him. His humanistic theory of the Self, therefore emphasizes the centrality of the Self and places significance on experience in relationship to behaviour. DYNAMICS OF FAITH: THE CHRISTIAN VIEWPOINT: Carl Rogers is of the opinion that the schools of today are more damaging than helpful to personality development, because they are fostering a negative influence on creative thinking. Hje sees these schools as primarily institutions for incarcerating and taking care of young people to keep them out of 6 292 the adult world. To him these institutions are ossified, where innovations are stiffled and innovators squeezed out. (Evans 1975, p.150) In his article ~The Role of Religion in Education" supports Rogers' concept when he said, Although educational achievements have contributed greatly to changes in our modern world, they have made little positive impact upon man's inner self. They have improved his living conditions, but not the quality of life. Consequently, modern educational institutions have failed to liberate man from vice, fear, inhuman disregard of others and spiritual degradation. Therefore, man remains a helpless slave of his own inhuman passions and destructive vices. (P.20) While we may be tempted to disagree with Rogers and Ott, we have to confess that both men have their fingers on the pulse of modern-day parochial education; for indeed, our parochial schools have fallen short in influencing the wholistic development of the person, that is the spiritual, mental, physical and socio­ emotional aspects. Secular education devoid of the spiritual component cannot and will not adequately help the person to find answers to his problems, because the root cause of man's problems is sin, and the solution to the sin problem is beyond man's control. Christian education, because of its Christ-centered approach, is capable of providing the learner with the information to find answers to his/her origin, potential, and purpose for existence. The person is constantly searching for solutions and direction in life, and if education is to meet these needs, it must incooperate a religious component that addresses the nature and predicament of man in his struggle for survival. Ott suggests that man's real problem is not ignorance, but sinfulness, therefore the struggle is not his mind, but his Will {p.21). Secular education therefore, is incapable of providing a balanced and corrective program to deal with the Self, because true education has to do with the complete development of the person. 7 295 emphasis on the Self, said, ''A love of notoreity, and a spirit of self trust are encouraged that prove fatal to the Soul." Christ­ centered education then should discourage self dependency, and encourage the development of human possibilities - reaching one's full potential. H.D. McDonald in his book, The Christian View of Man points out that: Every man is a unique selfhood over and against society. The reality of natural individual self love which thebiblical view of man recognizes means that each desires for himself the full relaization of his every possibility. Every man knows himself to be less fulfilled and less developed than he might be: and he knows too that there are within himself deep and dangerous urges which conspire to hidner his being what he ought to be. It is certain however that no man can reach his full stature (potential) of manhood except through a power not his own ..• " (1981, p. 113) . That power which McDonald spoke of is God - the image He wishes to restore in man. E.G. White speaking about that power in the "Hidden Treasures," said: ~God will take men (women) who do not appear to be so richly endowed (with intellect) who have no large self confidence and he will make the weak strong because they trust in Him to do for them that which they cannot do for themselves. God will accept wholehearted service and will Himself make up the deficiencies. (P. 150). Many psychologists and humanists may argue that people are the only ones who can solve their problems, and they may invent varied techniques to show or teach them how to do so, but the truth is,the greatest threat to man is himself. Therefore, until man surrenders Self to God, and the finite is united with the Infinite, will man find lasting solutions to his problems, for Paul reiterates that we can accomplish all things, only, through Christ. The Christian viewpoint will therefore continue to emphasize the four dimensional or wholistic approach to the development of the true or ideal Self, because according to White, "Education comprises more than just a knowledge of books. Proper education 10 296 involves not only mental discipline, but that training that will involve sound morals and correct deportment." (P. 52). The Christian teacher's task is therefore to assist in restoring and protecting the image of God in students, in whatever subject matter taught, while helping them to maintain their individuality of "Self" and their freedom to make independent choices. A Critique of Carl Rogers' Self Theory Carl Rogers, a notable humanistic psychologist and psychotherapist, is at the forefront in the broadening of the goals of psychology, giving greater concerns to human problems. He must be credited for his significant contribution to psychology as a discipline, and as one who has challenged and improved the psychological and intellectual health of disturbed people. Thus developing an optimistic self-determined and positive philosophy of human existence. (Evans 1975 XVI) Evans saw him as a quiet revolutionary who demystified the practice of psychotherapy, and promoted change when the concept of personality development was influenced by genetic and socio­ environmental deterministic views. According to Evans, Rogers' ideas were so elegant in concept and so dramatically rewarding in practice, that all professions, including psychology were greatly influenced by them. As a humanist, Rogers emphasized the centrality of the Self and suggested that the answer to man's problems lies within him. Peale (1982) adopted that line of thinking when he said: You are never defeated by anything, until you accept in your mind, the thought that you are defeated; you are never defeated until you accept the image of defeat .•. What your mind can conceive and believe, and your heart desire, you can achieve ••• (pp.17,29). To the reader, it would appear that Peale is assuming a humanistic trend of thought, but in his book, The Power of II 297 Positive Thinking he records for posterity: ~within the mind are the resources needed for successful living •.• God our Creator has laid up within our minds and potentialities, all the potential powers and ability we need for constructive living. Man's duty is to tap and develop these powers." (p.62) The power referred to by Peale is the power of God in man. This is the most powerful force in nature and is the spiritual power technique taught in the Bible. Duffie (1968 p.57) Rogers therefore erred when he placed experience over God and the Bible, as the sole contributor to truth. In support of his ideas about experience he wrote: It is to experience that I must return again and again; to discover a closer approximation to truth as it is in the process of becoming in me. Neither the Bible nor the prophets - neither Freud nor research - neither the revelation of God or man - can take precedence over my own direct experience (Cited in Lamberton, c.c. p.281). Although direct experience, education, culture, the exercise of the will and human effort, may play a part in correcting human behavior and helping to shape the self, they cannot ~change the heart or purify the springs of life ••• they need the power of God working in human experiences." (Duffie, p.139). Psychological sciences therefore, while playing their part in the development of society, pose both dangers and opportunities to the Christian mind. They are devoid of a spiritual component; they are secular in nature and cannot therefore solve all of human problems, because human problems are spiritual in nature, with sin as the root cause, and therefore needs a spiritual experience to provide solutions. Man is constantly seeking to provide answers and meaning to his life. Ott suggests that man's real problem is not ignorance, but sinfulness, therefore the real struggle is not his mind, but his will, and that will is the power to choose. (p.21) Rollo May (1953) in support of this concept of choice said, ~The fulfillment of one's individuality is based on conscious 12 300 the faith factors, is to assume what Evans refers to as the ~linear" approach. He said that Rogers, in the development of his client-centered approach to psychotherapy paid little attention to the aspect of human experience such as law, history, politics and technology which influence and shape man's development. While Rogers' approach to client-centered therapy is good and has created changes in various peoples' lives and society, he seemed to overlook two things. Firstly, he appeared to overburden his new approach to problem-solving with expectations that may be difficult to achieve. Secondly, his change of behaviour, according to Evans, is achieved, not in the way he envisioned it, but as to how people think about human relations, expectations about intimate personal and organizational behaviour. In this regard he has revolutionized the thinking of society about human development of the Self and tha ability of people to find answers to their problems. Summary And Conclusion Many students who enroll in Christian institutions enter with a positive image of themselves. Others, on the other hand are led to believe they are inferior. This feeling need not exist among Christian teachers or students, because according to Horne cited in Shermis (1967): The self is capable of unlimited capacity for growth in the attainment of knowledge and wisdom, in the production of an enjoyment of the beautiful, and in the acquisition of the ideal virtues of understanding, sympathy, cooperation, forgiiveness and self sacrifice. (pp.251,252) ~ The supremacy of the Self can find its greatest fulfillment when it synchronizes harmoniously with the ideal Self - God. In this respect the image of God will begin to be restored in human, reflecting what Hughes (1980) describes as core characteristics 15 301 of physical attributes, perceiving, thinking, feeling, choosing, acting, creating and relating, as persons relate with each other and with God. (p.90) Such revelations are the result of choice - that of sin or of righteousness. Humans are created with the power of choice, but due to the existence of good and evil, humans find it difficult to choose good. It was St. Paul who described his predicament in Romans 7:18 "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not." Each person needs to develop a personal realtionship with God, and initiate a network with his fellowmen so that the interaction between home, school and community can be realized, as the Ideal Self - a real life in Christ become a reality. In this respect the ~fully functional person will be able to declare like Paul "I can do all things through Christ." A balanced Self is achieved only through purposeful integration of faith and learning which Rasi describes as: a deliberate and systematic process of approaching the entire educational enterprise from a biblical perspective, and with Christian objectives, so as to ensure that students (and teachers) will leave school having freely internalized a Christ-centered, service­ oriented and kingdom-directed view of knowledge, life and destiny. (C.C.4.) Holmes also cautions that integration should be viewed as an intellectual activity that is continuous with life. (p.46} Learners, especially in the field of psychology need to be aware that: Our impulses and passions can be harnessed for the highest use, and that with full surrender of self, God will make up the deficiencies. (White) Psychology as a science should seek to develop body, mind and spirit, thus beginning the restoration process - leading humans back to the prestine state of being - "in the image of his Maker." Relativism and absolutism, along with the concepts of freedom and the self, should be taught in a manner that affirms 16 302 God's laws as the transcript of His character. Biblical principles and psychology should be so well interfaced, that their interdependence resembles that of mind and body interrelationship. The Christian teacher then, should launch out in faith believing that according to White, in Hidden Treasures God desires that His workers in every line shall look to Him as the giver of all they possess ••• and that Divine and human agencies are to combine in temporal as well as spiritual achievement. (p.236) 17