Philosophical perspectives and major thinkers

Philosophy

Underlying assumptions about human nature impact most forms of creative expression, including films, television shows, and literature. In fact, some of the most poignant commentaries on human nature can be found in elements of popular culture, such as television shows. Ideas and arguments about human nature are usually implicit, not explicit. Unlike the world's great philosophers, television shows do not come right out with extended arguments about topics like goodwill, evil, spiritual aspirations, the mob mentality, or individualism. Television shows do, however, do an excellent job creating allegories that illustrate some of our society's basic understandings of and assumptions about human nature. For example, the animated show South Park depicts dozens of different characters interacting in ways that reveal the writers' assumptions about human nature. Each episode examines a particular situation from various perspectives, drawing out the multiplicity of voices and opinions that characterizes human social life. Although the writers usually don't intend to pay homage to philosophers like the Buddha, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Darwin, Marx, or Freud, these thinkers and their theories helped shape our culture's value system and worldview. Therefore, popular shows like South Park inevitably reflect some of these core philosophies. In particular, South Park deals intermittently with Freudian ego/id/superego theory as well as his theories on unconscious desires; Hobbes' and Humes' ideas regarding free will and determinism; and Kierkegaard's theories on social alienation.

Freudian theory creeps up frequently in popular culture in general and in South Park in particular. The id, ego, and superego are examined regularly on the show. Because many of the characters are children, the id aspect of the human consciousness is examined thoroughly on South Park. The kids have innate id desires for food and creature comforts. Many of the episodes demonstrate that part of growing up means learning how to balance the basic id desires with the demands of the superego and social conscience. The children on South Park represent the psychological development of the ego as a constant balancing act between the id and superego. Each character develops differently, showing how Freudian-defined neuroses may develop.

A prime example of neurosis is the character Eric Cartman. A raving sociopath at times, Cartman occasionally lets his eight-year-old consciousness shine through. Unlike most of the other characters on the show, Cartman rarely if ever shows any concern for superego. Cartman unabashedly has no sense of right or wrong, willfully hurts people for his own gratification, and cares not for the social norms and mores that guide social behavior. In several episodes, Cartman acts cruelly because it gratifies his id while ignoring his superego. As a result of his lack of conscience, Cartman does not suffer from the types of neuroses that affect other characters on the show. South Park shows how ego development can sway in the sociopathic direction when the superego is weakly developed in an individual.

Kyle and Stan, on the other hand, demonstrate more common means of ego development. Kyle in particular finds himself tormented by his conflicting needs: to conform to social norms vs. To fulfill his id desires. Kyle often stands in direct conflict to Cartman because of his budding superego, his sense of moral and social responsibility. In one episode, Kyle suffered from terrible nightmares because he unwillingly participated in the act of toilet-papering a teacher's home. Throughout the episode, Kyle badly wanted to admit the truth; at the same time, Cartman tried to kill him because he didn't want Kyle to squeal. Kyle's ego development reflects the suppression of innate id instincts like anger and aggression, concurrent with the development of the superego. Finally, Cartman's direct opposite in terms of Freudian personality theory is the character Butters, an impossibly sweet kid with a strong superego. Butters has so carefully suppressed his id instincts that he has developed an alter-ego: an evil superhero he calls Professor Chaos. Thus, South Park aptly illustrates how Freudian theory can explain manifestations of human nature and human psycho-social development.

The parents, teachers, and other adults express their id desires on South Park too. The core human instincts that Freud discussed in his theories, such as instinctual aggression, become common motifs on South Park. Related to the aggression instinct, Freud's theory of the death wish is also present on almost every episode of the show. Until recent years of the production, the character Kenny was killed in every show. The creators of South Park have honed in on the instinctual desire for aggression in the human species, depicting violence in comedic but intense ways. The depiction of violence on South Park would seem to suggest that Freud was correct in his assumption that aggression pervades human nature. Many of the characters on the show throw tantrums, kill each other, and in general express their aggression. The huge following that the show enjoys also illustrates that Freud might not have been far off.

Freud's theories are not the only philosophies implicit in the show South Park. Almost without exception, the moral of each episode imparts a tone that resembles Hobbes' and Humes' ideas about human nature, free will, and determinism. For instance, characters are portrayed as being inherently self-seeking, even if they eventually find common ground and cooperate. Thus, Hume's utilitarianism is frequently expressed in South Park episodes. At the same time, a Hobbes-like discourse regarding the need for authority in peaceful societies is also imparted in many of the episodes. Frequently on the show, the town erupts into total chaos and then a few individuals prompt peace based on utilitarian and pragmatic values. Moreover, the conflict between free will and determinism, which Hume and Hobbes examine in detail, is also expressed on the show. For example, the children contend with the fact that they cannot help who their parents are (determinism) and at the same time need to call upon their free will and initiative in order to grapple with tricky social situations.