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Church Traditions for a Christian Psychology

The Meaning of Persons and ‘being in relation’” (John Paul II, 1984/2006,
Many perspectives have been offered regarding 109:4).
human motivation. Genesis presents God’s Wojtyła recognized that the “basic structure of
blessing and command to “be fruitful and mul- human existence” incorporates two basic in-
tiply” and to “have dominion” over creation stincts or drives: “In the elementary structure of
(Genesis 1:27-28, RSV). Freud identified two the human being…we observe two fundamen-
types of instincts, the “sexual instincts” and the tal drives: the drive for self-preservation and
“aggressive instincts” (Freud, 1933/1965, pp. the sexual drive” (Wojtyła, 1960/2013, p. 49; cf.
128-129). Elsewhere, Freud is attributed (appa- Wojtyła, 1960/1981, p. 65). The first is egocen-
rently by third-hand account) to have indicated tric, and the latter is necessarily “altero- cen-
that a normal person would be characterized tric,” which “creates the basis for love” (Wojtyła,
by the ability “to love and to work” (Erikson, 1960/1981, p. 65). For John Paul II, human mo-
1963, pp. 264-265). Murray (1943/1971) iden- tivation may not be understood merely on the
tified needs for “achievement” and “affiliation,” level of instinct or drive, through a Freudian
among many others. Rogers (1957) spoke of a “hermeneutic of suspicion”: “The meaning of
“growth tendency” or a “drive toward self-ac- the body is in some way the antithesis of Freu-
tualization” (p. 63). Frankl (1946/2006) indica- dian libido. The meaning of life is the antithesis
ted that human beings can discover meaning in of the hermeneutics ‘of suspicion.’” (John Paul
life through “work done,” “love loved,” and “suf- II, 1984/2006, 46:6). Instead, human motivati-
ferings bravely suffered” (pp. 111, 122). Allers on is properly reinterpreted through the “her-
(1943) identified a “will to power” (pp. 77-79) meneutic of the gift” (John Paul II, 1984/2006,
and a “will to community” (pp. 119-129). Tour- 13:2) and two complementary aspects of the
nier (1963/1965) spoke of the “adventure of li- personalistic principle: “the affirmation of the
ving.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church person as a person and the sincere gift of self”
(1997) teaches that “God put us in the world to (John Paul II,
know, to love, and to serve him, and so to come 1994, pp. 200-202).
to paradise” (n. 1721).
Wojtyła (1969/1979) identified two funda- Human existence necessarily involves a reci-
mental structures of “the dynamism proper to procity of life and love, of “self-possession” and
man,” described as “man-acts” and “something- “self-donation,” of “self-perfection” and “self-
happens-in-man” (p. 61). These structures are giving” (Wojtyla, 1969/1979, p. 193; Wojtyla,
manifested as “activeness” and “passiveness,” 1960/1981, p. 97):
respectively (pp. 61-62): “The ‘activeness’ in the Thus, of its very nature, no person can be trans-
‘man-acts’ structure is something different from ferred or ceded to another. In the natural order,
the ‘passiveness’ of the ‘something-happens-in- it is oriented towards self perfection, towards
man’ structure, the two being mutually oppo- the attainment of an ever greater fullness of
site” (p. 62). These passive aspects of human existence….We have already stated that this
motivation are experienced within the “somato- self-perfection proceeds side by side and step
vegetative dynamisms” of the body and to some by step with love. The fullest, the most uncom-
extent within the “psycho-emotive dynamisms” promising form of love consists precisely in self
of the mind (pp. 97-98). The active and proper- giving… (Wojtyła, 1960/1981, p. 97)
ly human aspects of motivation involve “that Mere humanistic self-realization in isolation is
conscious efficacy which involves the causation not possible. The person needs to be loved and
of the person” (p. 98). This distinction appears affirmed as a person: “The person is a being
to have significant implications for considerati- for whom the only suitable dimension is love”
on of human motivation. (John Paul II, 1994, pp. 200-201). Ultimately,
the person needs to give of self in love of others:
Personal and Relational “The person is realized through love.” “Man
Catholic psychology is personal and relational. affirms himself most completely by giving of
“‘Being a person’…means both ‘being a subject’ himself” (John Paul II, 1994, p. 202). Both are

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