《否定死亡》讀後感
文/紫若藍
看到菲兒在組織書評活動，我從GoodRead搬一篇來湊數。這篇書評本來是用英文寫的。我請ChatGPT翻譯了一下。話說ChatGpT翻譯有時候也不是太靠譜，80% 還可以，但關鍵時刻就會掉鏈，所以我也修改了一下。也不知道怎麽給菲兒投稿，就發在我的博客裏吧。祝菲兒和文學城讀者、作者, 特別是海外原創論壇的作者們新年快樂！
《否定死亡》（The Denial of Death) 是一本非常學術味兒的書，探討了對死亡的認識如何影響或塑造人類的心理。我感覺這更像是一本需要認真學習的教材，而不是一本可以隨意聽聽的書。我是在一個YouTube視頻中聽說這本書的，原以為它是一部關於激勵的自助書籍。我是大錯特錯了。
這絕對不是一本充滿激勵性的書。書中沒有否認死亡、繼續生活的內容，而是深入探討了對死亡的認知如何塑造人類的心理，沒有對死亡或生命的任何美化之詞。
我對這本書的評分是3分，這並不完全反映書本身的質量，而更多是基於我聽這本書時的體驗，因為我對學術研究並沒有太大興趣。
從聽這本書的過程中，我有幾個非常深刻的印象點。首先，心理學是一個非常複雜的領域，充滿了關於被誤解的性觀念和混亂的糞便情感，這些內容對於我這樣的普通讀者來說並不討喜。
書中還提到了幾個心理學巨匠，比如榮格、弗洛伊德、克爾凱郭爾、奧托·蘭克等等。其中克爾凱郭爾和奧托·蘭克讓我印象深刻。即使隻是開車時聽這本書，他們的一些理論和思考依然觸動到了我的內心深處，觸摸到我的靈魂。特別是我記得克爾凱郭爾提到，現代社會人造的生活模式，人們盲目追逐那些模板化的夢想，卻迷失了自己作為個體的身份。比如所謂被社會公認追求的成就其實沒有具體的意義，隻是虛幻的東西。這個觀點我是第一次聽說，也震動到我。我想深入閱讀克爾凱郭爾和奧托·蘭克的相關著作。
以下是ChatGPT的總結：
《否認死亡》是一本由歐內斯特·貝克創作的普利策獎獲獎書籍，深入探討了人類的生存狀態及對死亡認知的心理反應。貝克認為，人類通過創造各種象征體係，如文化、宗教和成就，來否認死亡的必然性，並在麵對死亡時獲得意義感。他探討了這種否認如何塑造人類行為，驅動野心，以及影響我們對自我和世界的理解。這本書整體上對人類存在的複雜性以及我們如何應對死亡的知識進行了深刻的反思。
《否認死亡》引用了多位重要的心理學家和哲學家，他們的思想貫穿了對人類行為和死亡反應的探討。這些人物包括：
1. 弗洛伊德：以精神分析理論及無意識概念著稱，弗洛伊德關於人類行為和動機的理論影響了貝克對心理的理解。
2. 奧托·蘭克：弗洛伊德的同事，這位精神分析學家提出了與出生創傷和對不朽追求有關的理論，這些在貝克的作品中有所探討。
3. 馬克思：哲學家和經濟學家，馬克思關於社會、權力動態及地位追求的觀點也在書中提及。
4. 費爾巴哈：以對宗教和神學的批判而聞名，費爾巴哈關於人類投射和神性本質的思想被引用。
5. 克爾凱郭爾：貝克從克爾凱郭爾的存在主義主題中汲取靈感，尤其是個體對意義的追求以及對死亡的恐懼。
6. 海德格爾：另一位存在主義哲學家，海德格爾關於真實存在、死亡及向死而生的概念也被探討。
7. 保羅·蒂利希：一位神學家和存在主義哲學家，他關於終極關懷、勇氣和焦慮的理論在貝克的論述中也有涉及。
這些思想家共同構成了貝克對人類心理、文化構建以及個體如何應對死亡這一存在現實的探討。
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The original English version:
The Denial of Death is a very academic book. It’s about how knowledge of death impacting or influencing human psyche. I felt it means to be a textbook to be studied instead of casually listening to it. I heard about this book from a YouTube video. I thought it was self help book about motivation. How wrong I was.
This is definitely not a motivational book. Nothing about denial of death and moving on with your life. Rather, it’s how the knowledge about death shaping human psyche. No glorification of either death or living.
I rated the book as 3 not necessarily reflecting on the quality of the book itself, it’s more about my experience listening to it given the fact that I am not into academic learning the subject.
There are a few imprints I collected from listening to the book. First of all is that psychology is very messy subject, full of emotions around misconstrued sexuality and confused feces, which were not appetizing to read for general readers.
The book also exploded a few psychology giants, like Jung, Sigmund Freud, Kierkegaard, Otto Rank and etc. I was impressed by Kierkegaard and Otto Rank. Even just listening while driving, some of their theories or thinkings reached inside of me , touched my soul. Specifically, I think it’s from Kierkegaard, he mentioned that the modern society cut out patterns of life people blindly following and chasing phantoms of cookie cutter dreams and losing their own identity of the being. Something like accomplishments were phantoms. This is from my memory of listening to it. I want to read more about his passages about Kierkegaard and Otto Rank.
Here are the ChatGpt summary:
"The Denial of Death" is a Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Ernest Becker that delves into the human condition and our psychological responses to the awareness of mortality. Becker argues that humans create various symbolic systems, such as culture, religion, and achievements, to deny the inevitability of death and to feel significant in the face of mortality. He explores how this denial shapes human behavior, drives ambitions, and influences our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Overall, the book offers a profound reflection on the complexities of human existence and the ways we cope with the knowledge of our mortality.
"The Denial of Death" by Ernest Becker references several important psychologists and philosophers throughout its exploration of human behavior and responses to mortality. Some of these figures include:
1. **Sigmund Freud**: Known for his work on psychoanalysis and the concept of the unconscious mind, Freud's ideas about human behavior and motivations influenced Becker's understanding of the psyche.
2. **Otto Rank**: A psychoanalyst and colleague of Freud, Rank's theories on the significance of birth trauma and the search for immortality are discussed in Becker's work.
3. **Karl Marx**: The philosopher and economist Marx is mentioned in relation to his views on society, power dynamics, and the pursuit of status.
4. **Ludwig Feuerbach**: Known for his critique of religion and theology, Feuerbach's ideas about human projection and the nature of divinity are referenced in the book.
5. **Kierkegaard**: Becker draws on existentialist themes from Kierkegaard, particularly regarding the individual's struggle for meaning and the fear of death.
6. **Heidegger**: Another existentialist philosopher, Heidegger's concepts of authenticity, mortality, and being-toward-death are explored in relation to human existence and anxiety about death.
7. **Paul Tillich**: A theologian and existentialist philosopher, Tillich's ideas about ultimate concerns, courage, and anxiety are discussed in the context of Becker's thesis.
These thinkers collectively contribute to Becker's exploration of human psychology, cultural constructs, and the ways in which individuals grapple with the existential reality of mortality.
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原創作品，未經許可請勿轉載，謝謝！
紫若藍文學城博客鏈接：https://blog.wenxuecity.com/myoverview/79242/
若藍小詩油管頻道：https://www.youtube.com/@lorenpoetry
菲爾書評活動鏈接：https://www.wenxuecity.com/blog/202410/25182/4832.html
