Fundamentalism refers to the static adoption of a given ideology in ones life (3), often leading to a firm rejection of alternate beliefs and a strictly authoritarian world view (1). Religious fundamentalism employs a literal acceptance of the ideology and scriptures of a given religion (11), driven by the psychological character of the fundamentalist who 's primary aim is to create a society based off their religious ideology (6). The ways in which fundamentalism affects human behaviour can be observed through the psychological theory of Sigmund Freud, emphasising the role of the unconscious in shaping beliefs and their corresponding behaviours. The role of Islamic fundamentalism specifically in recent terror attacks conducted by Islamic State,
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General standards of behaviour across societies will differ according to cultural, sociological and legal standards, however the presence of religion in the life of any individual provides a definite basis of morality and behaviour that one is obliged to follow (18). The effect of fundamentalism on human behaviour becomes obvious here, as fundamentalists live according to exaggerated religious ideology (1), significantly altering their behaviour; the significance of the effects of fundamentalist beliefs on human behaviour becomes particularly obvious in comparing the behaviour of a religious fundamentalist with the behaviour of an atheist. It is widely understood that a belief in God or a dedication to religious ideology, two concepts of extreme prevalence in fundamental groups, tends to encourage moral behaviour (18), given that the general purpose of religion as a concept is to support positive spiritual development (19), consequentially strengthening individual morality; a religious fundamentalist therefore, will behave in strict accordance with the ideology of their chosen religion, leading to a deepened spirituality and relationship …show more content…
Under the Islamic belief that the ideology of Islam can only be properly implanted if an Islamic State exists, violent fundamentalism fuels the fight for conversion and acts as the only possible means for Islamic fundamentalists to fulfil their religious wishes. In the context of such a society, social standards acting to condition the superego are lowered, and as violence is largely normalised, the aggressive urges of the id fuelled by passionate fundamentalist beliefs are hardly resisted, allowing violent human behaviour as seen in the relevant case study. Freud 's theory states that the three parts of the human psyche interact to produce human behaviour, with an environmental influence; when the environmental influence does little to minimise the aggressive, sexual or otherwise inappropriate urges of the id, they will prevail. Thus, the unconventional environment in which the 2016 Iraq bombings occurred somewhat facilitated the violence, as the instinctual violent urges of the id could not be restrained due to the nature of the way in which the superego was conditioned, manufacturing violent human behaviour in
General standards of behaviour across societies will differ according to cultural, sociological and legal standards, however the presence of religion in the life of any individual provides a definite basis of morality and behaviour that one is obliged to follow (18). The effect of fundamentalism on human behaviour becomes obvious here, as fundamentalists live according to exaggerated religious ideology (1), significantly altering their behaviour; the significance of the effects of fundamentalist beliefs on human behaviour becomes particularly obvious in comparing the behaviour of a religious fundamentalist with the behaviour of an atheist. It is widely understood that a belief in God or a dedication to religious ideology, two concepts of extreme prevalence in fundamental groups, tends to encourage moral behaviour (18), given that the general purpose of religion as a concept is to support positive spiritual development (19), consequentially strengthening individual morality; a religious fundamentalist therefore, will behave in strict accordance with the ideology of their chosen religion, leading to a deepened spirituality and relationship …show more content…
Under the Islamic belief that the ideology of Islam can only be properly implanted if an Islamic State exists, violent fundamentalism fuels the fight for conversion and acts as the only possible means for Islamic fundamentalists to fulfil their religious wishes. In the context of such a society, social standards acting to condition the superego are lowered, and as violence is largely normalised, the aggressive urges of the id fuelled by passionate fundamentalist beliefs are hardly resisted, allowing violent human behaviour as seen in the relevant case study. Freud 's theory states that the three parts of the human psyche interact to produce human behaviour, with an environmental influence; when the environmental influence does little to minimise the aggressive, sexual or otherwise inappropriate urges of the id, they will prevail. Thus, the unconventional environment in which the 2016 Iraq bombings occurred somewhat facilitated the violence, as the instinctual violent urges of the id could not be restrained due to the nature of the way in which the superego was conditioned, manufacturing violent human behaviour in