Will to live
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| + | The '''will to live''' is a [[psychology|psychological]] force to fight for [[survival|survival]], particularly when one's life is threatened by an injury or disease such as [[cancer]]. Some physicians believe that it plays an important role in one's chances of survival. There are significant [[correlations]] between the will to live and [[Existentialism|existential]], [[psychological]], [[social]], and, to a lesser degree, physical sources of [[distress]]. The difference between the wish to die versus the wish to live is a unique risk factor for [[suicide]]. | ||
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| + | ==Background== | ||
| + | The will to live is considered to be a very basic [[Drive theory|drive]] in [[human|man]]; however, it is not necessarily thought to be the ''main'' driving force. Out of [[Vienna]] come three schools of psychotherapy: [[Sigmund Freud]]'s first school involves what has been termed the [[pleasure principle (psychology)|pleasure principle]], or the ''will to pleasure''; [[Alfred Adler]] broke away from Freud to create his second school of [[individual psychology]], or the ''[[will to power]]'', which has also been more broadly termed the ''will to superiority'' and is based in [[Nietzche]]'s work; [[Victor Frankl]], after spending time in a German concentration camp, developed his third school of Viennese psychotherapy called [[logotherapy]], or the ''will to meaning''. Before all this, as can be seen by studies in fields like zoology and ethology, and also in [[Schopenhauer]]'s work, there is the very basic and powerful ''will to live''. | ||
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| + | Psychologists have established that human beings are social creatures who possess a need to engage in [[interpersonal relationship]]s. In assessing the will to live it should be borne in mind that it could be augmented or diminished by the relative strength of other simultaneously existent drives. Therefore, one may consider what are the ends that each member of humanity inherently seeks a means to? From this perspective psychologists generally agree that there is the ''will to live'', the ''will to pleasure'', the ''will to superiority'' and the ''will to connection''. There is also usually varying degrees of curiosity with regard to what may be termed the ''will to [[identity]]'' or establishing meaningful personal responses to the questions: "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" The will to live is a platform without which it would not be possible to satisfy the other drives. | ||
| + | ==Schopenhauer== | ||
| A key aspect of [[Schopenhauer]]'s thought is the investigation of what makes man [[Irrational|less than reasonable]]. This force he calls "''Wille zum Leben''" or Will (lit. ''will to life'' or ''will to live''), by which he means the forces driving man, to remain alive and to [[sexual reproduction|reproduce]], a [[drive]] intertwined with [[desire]]. This Will is the inner content and the driving force of the world. For Schopenhauer, Will had [[ontology|ontological]] primacy over the [[intellect]]; in other words, desire is understood to be prior to thought, and, in a parallel sense, Will is said to be prior to being. | A key aspect of [[Schopenhauer]]'s thought is the investigation of what makes man [[Irrational|less than reasonable]]. This force he calls "''Wille zum Leben''" or Will (lit. ''will to life'' or ''will to live''), by which he means the forces driving man, to remain alive and to [[sexual reproduction|reproduce]], a [[drive]] intertwined with [[desire]]. This Will is the inner content and the driving force of the world. For Schopenhauer, Will had [[ontology|ontological]] primacy over the [[intellect]]; in other words, desire is understood to be prior to thought, and, in a parallel sense, Will is said to be prior to being. | ||
| - | == Compared to Nietzsche's ''will to power'' == | + | === Compared to Nietzsche's ''will to power'' === |
| :''main [[The Will to Power]]'' | :''main [[The Will to Power]]'' | ||
| Schopenhauer posited a "will to live," in which living things were motivated by sustaining and developing their own lives. Nietzsche instead posited a will to power, a significant point of contrast to Schopenhauer's ideation, in which living things are not just driven by the mere need to stay alive, but in fact by a greater need to wield and use power, to grow, to expend their strength, and, possibly, to subsume other "wills" in the process. Thus, Nietzsche regarded such a "will to live" as secondary to the primary "will to power", and more generally there are varied manifestations of it, two prominent distinctions by Nietzsche are: a "life-denying" modality and a life-"enhancing" or -"affirming" one. Henceforth, he opposed himself to social Darwinism, as he contested the validity of the concept of "[[adaptation]]", which he considered a narrow and weak "will to live". | Schopenhauer posited a "will to live," in which living things were motivated by sustaining and developing their own lives. Nietzsche instead posited a will to power, a significant point of contrast to Schopenhauer's ideation, in which living things are not just driven by the mere need to stay alive, but in fact by a greater need to wield and use power, to grow, to expend their strength, and, possibly, to subsume other "wills" in the process. Thus, Nietzsche regarded such a "will to live" as secondary to the primary "will to power", and more generally there are varied manifestations of it, two prominent distinctions by Nietzsche are: a "life-denying" modality and a life-"enhancing" or -"affirming" one. Henceforth, he opposed himself to social Darwinism, as he contested the validity of the concept of "[[adaptation]]", which he considered a narrow and weak "will to live". | ||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Schopenhauer]]'s concept of '''''will to live''''' | ||
| + | *[[Nietzsche]] | ||
| + | *The [[philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche]] | ||
| + | *Each of the following Viennese schools of [[psychotherapy]] advocates a very different ''main driving force'' in [[human|man]]: | ||
| + | **[[Sigmund Freud]]'s ''will to pleasure'' – [[pleasure principle (psychology)|pleasure principle]] | ||
| + | **[[Alfred Adler]]'s ''will to power'' – [[individual psychology]] | ||
| + | **[[Viktor Frankl]]'s ''will to meaning'' – [[logotherapy]] | ||
| + | *[[Heinz Ansbacher]] | ||
| + | *[[Death drive]] | ||
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Revision as of 08:41, 21 March 2011
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The will to live is a psychological force to fight for survival, particularly when one's life is threatened by an injury or disease such as cancer. Some physicians believe that it plays an important role in one's chances of survival. There are significant correlations between the will to live and existential, psychological, social, and, to a lesser degree, physical sources of distress. The difference between the wish to die versus the wish to live is a unique risk factor for suicide.
Contents |
Background
The will to live is considered to be a very basic drive in man; however, it is not necessarily thought to be the main driving force. Out of Vienna come three schools of psychotherapy: Sigmund Freud's first school involves what has been termed the pleasure principle, or the will to pleasure; Alfred Adler broke away from Freud to create his second school of individual psychology, or the will to power, which has also been more broadly termed the will to superiority and is based in Nietzche's work; Victor Frankl, after spending time in a German concentration camp, developed his third school of Viennese psychotherapy called logotherapy, or the will to meaning. Before all this, as can be seen by studies in fields like zoology and ethology, and also in Schopenhauer's work, there is the very basic and powerful will to live.
Psychologists have established that human beings are social creatures who possess a need to engage in interpersonal relationships. In assessing the will to live it should be borne in mind that it could be augmented or diminished by the relative strength of other simultaneously existent drives. Therefore, one may consider what are the ends that each member of humanity inherently seeks a means to? From this perspective psychologists generally agree that there is the will to live, the will to pleasure, the will to superiority and the will to connection. There is also usually varying degrees of curiosity with regard to what may be termed the will to identity or establishing meaningful personal responses to the questions: "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" The will to live is a platform without which it would not be possible to satisfy the other drives.
Schopenhauer
A key aspect of Schopenhauer's thought is the investigation of what makes man less than reasonable. This force he calls "Wille zum Leben" or Will (lit. will to life or will to live), by which he means the forces driving man, to remain alive and to reproduce, a drive intertwined with desire. This Will is the inner content and the driving force of the world. For Schopenhauer, Will had ontological primacy over the intellect; in other words, desire is understood to be prior to thought, and, in a parallel sense, Will is said to be prior to being.
Compared to Nietzsche's will to power
- main The Will to Power
Schopenhauer posited a "will to live," in which living things were motivated by sustaining and developing their own lives. Nietzsche instead posited a will to power, a significant point of contrast to Schopenhauer's ideation, in which living things are not just driven by the mere need to stay alive, but in fact by a greater need to wield and use power, to grow, to expend their strength, and, possibly, to subsume other "wills" in the process. Thus, Nietzsche regarded such a "will to live" as secondary to the primary "will to power", and more generally there are varied manifestations of it, two prominent distinctions by Nietzsche are: a "life-denying" modality and a life-"enhancing" or -"affirming" one. Henceforth, he opposed himself to social Darwinism, as he contested the validity of the concept of "adaptation", which he considered a narrow and weak "will to live".
See also
- Schopenhauer's concept of will to live
- Nietzsche
- The philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche
- Each of the following Viennese schools of psychotherapy advocates a very different main driving force in man:
- Sigmund Freud's will to pleasure – pleasure principle
- Alfred Adler's will to power – individual psychology
- Viktor Frankl's will to meaning – logotherapy
- Heinz Ansbacher
- Death drive
