Nietzsche complains that the world has lost much of its charm because we no longer fear it enough. This diagnosis hardly seems to apply to our age. The emergence of a culture of fear can scarcely be said to have made the world more charming, either.
Fear is dark and heavy. It laces one’s throat, takes our breath away, freezes us. Fear is a feeling everyone knows and nobody wants to have. Those who are afraid can no longer think clearly, mainly because they are afraid to lose something: their face, their money, their child, their safety. Whatever our fear may be directed to, whether rational or irrational, diffuse, floating, object-related or chronic: it is, in any case, existential. It shows us what we could lose—and at the same time hinders us from preventing that loss. In uncertain times, individual fears are often raised to a general social mood, an attitude to the life of an entire society. Given the increasing complexity of a world in which everything is interwoven and news is pouring on us in real-time, one might feel that fear is the predominant emotion in our culture.
In this study, Dominik Stojkovic examines the concept of fear and anxiety in order to explain its impact on people living in Western culture. In particular, the effect of fear and anxiety on people's economic thinking and decision-making is analyzed to understand what possible economic loss may come with growing fear and anxiety.
The author finds that the fear instinct of people living in Western cultures can harm them by distorting their worldview and influencing their decision-making process. People, then, seem to allow emotional, instinctive reactions instead of adhering to rational logic.
This work is divided into four main chapters, each of which has several subchapters. In Chapter I, the author examines in-depth research on emotions using the findings of various arts, such as neurobiology, philosophy, and sociology, in order to explain what emotions are in general and what kinds of emotions fear and anxiety are in particular. Chapter II is devoted to the title of this thesis. The author analyzes the role of fear and anxiety in the minds of people living in Western cultures today. The impact of this culture of fear on decision-making is discussed in Chapter III. Finally, in Chapter IV, Dominik Stojkovic shows possible ways to lead us beyond the culture of fear.
Table of Contents
1 Defining Fear and Anxiety
Emotions
From Fear to Anxiety
The Attraction of Fear
Fear: Omnipresent and Strong
2 The Culture of Fear
Fear and Risk
3 Economics of Fear
Homo Anxietas
Fear and Action
Fear and Performance
4 Beyond Fear
Objectives and Topics
This thesis analyzes the impact of fear and anxiety on Western culture, specifically investigating how these emotions influence economic thinking, decision-making, and the perceived prevalence of risk.
- Neurobiological and philosophical foundations of fear and anxiety.
- The emergence of a "culture of fear" and its impact on social discourse.
- The intersection of fear, uncertainty, and economic decision-making.
- The development of the "Homo Anxietas" model to describe behavior driven by anxiety.
Excerpt from the Book
Homo Anxietas
Certain emotions are generally believed to tell us something about reality. Fear is one of them. It is, then, seen as an instrument of perception. However, those instruments may work properly or improperly. As stated earlier, a person’s interpretation of a situation is essential for the person’s emotions regarding that situation. Nevertheless, these interpretations may as well be insufficient, which may, therefore, result in our emotional assessment of a situation to be insufficient. We make mistakes, as Aristotle points out, when we fear the wrong things, in the wrong way or at the wrong time (Aristotle, 2000, pp. 31–32). This, for instance, would be the case if someone is afraid of flying but not of driving a car because he or she (wrongly) assumes that flying is more dangerous than driving a car. That fear would be incorrect; one’s interpretation would be misguided.
In economics, economic behavior is often explained by the anthropology of the homo economicus. It is like a robot calculating cost and profit: homo economicus lacks emotion, does not give in to temptations, and is not greedy nor altruistic. It describes a utility-maximizer that operates rationally concerning its target function. Homo economicus’ main traits are 1) self-interest, 2) rational behavior, 3) maximizing personal utility, 4) reaction to constraints, 5) fixed preferences, and 6) complete information (Franz, 2004).
Summary of Chapters
1 Defining Fear and Anxiety: This chapter establishes an interdisciplinary foundation by defining emotions, distinguishing between fear and anxiety, and exploring their evolutionary and neurobiological roles.
2 The Culture of Fear: This chapter analyzes how fear has transitioned into a persistent cultural characteristic in Western societies, impacting norms, behaviors, and the perception of risk.
3 Economics of Fear: This chapter introduces the "Homo Anxietas" model, contrasting it with the neoclassical "Homo Economicus" to explain how fear and anxiety drive economic decision-making.
4 Beyond Fear: This chapter explores potential ways to move past the culture of fear, advocating for a shift in mindset from anxiety toward hope and realistic, critical thinking.
Keywords
Fear, Anxiety, Culture of Fear, Homo Anxietas, Economic Decision-Making, Risk, Uncertainty, Behavioral Economics, Rationality, Evolutionary Biology, Amygdala, Cognitive Performance, Yerkes-Dodson Law, Hope.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this thesis?
The thesis explores the influence of fear and anxiety on economic thinking and acting within Western societies, investigating how these emotions shape modern life.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The work integrates insights from psychology, neurobiology, sociology, philosophy, and behavioral economics to provide a comprehensive view of the "culture of fear."
What is the main objective or research question?
The aim is to analyze the impact of fear on people in Western cultures and specifically determine how growing anxiety affects economic decision-making and leads to financial or social losses.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The author conducts in-depth conceptual and theoretical research, synthesizing existing findings from various academic disciplines to build a new analytical model.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The work moves from defining fear at a neurobiological level to analyzing it as a cultural phenomenon, eventually applying these insights to economic behavior and proposing a transition toward hope.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key concepts include the "culture of fear," "Homo Anxietas," risk perception, uncertainty, and the psychological underpinnings of economic behavior.
How does the "Homo Anxietas" model differ from "Homo Economicus"?
Unlike "Homo Economicus," which assumes perfect rationality and complete information, "Homo Anxietas" describes an anxious individual driven by self-protection, irrational impulses, and reaction to uncertainty.
What is the author's conclusion regarding the role of fear in the economy?
The author concludes that fear, while biologically protective, often distorts economic decision-making in modern society, and suggests that a broader, interdisciplinary approach to risk management is necessary.
- Quote paper
- Dominik Stojkovic (Author), 2020, A Culture of Fear. The Influence of Fear and Anxiety on our Economic Thinking and Acting, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/978863
