She explores the attractions of fundamentalism, regarding Masters' definitions of morality and absolutist versions of The Truth and discusses how unnerving a changing realty can be, and how oversimplified versions of good and evil offer a promise of control and safety.

English asks the question: do humans yearn to dedicate themselves and lists several movements in the U.S., where this is apparently so. She then explains these ideas from her existential pattern theory developed by her over several years (TAJ 1987, 17/3; 1992 23/1) and proposing three basic human drives: Survival, Expressive, and Quiescence. She then relates these drives to developmental stages and relates this to a case history.

In the closing paragraphs English remarks about the fundamentalist Christian Coalition and concludes with some remarks about threats to our basic liberties.

This article which appeared in a TAJ theme issue on TA and Social applications (1996, 26/1) again demonstrates how transactional analysis can be applied to large social systems in very specific, and I think relevant ways.

With this 1996 article, Fanita English continued her interest in autocratic structures and in Master/Follower relationships, or what she called in her 1987 article: Power, Mental Energy, and Inertia (TAJ 17/3), Type II and Type I relationships respectively. She reasserts her ideas about two contrasting character types, Oversure sure for Masters, and Undersure for Followers and relates them to existential positions suggesting that such relationships in the extreme are third degree games.

She explores the attractions of fundamentalism, regarding Masters' definitions of morality and absolutist versions of The Truth and discusses how unnerving a changing realty can be, and how oversimplified versions of good and evil offer a promise of control and safety.

English asks the question: do humans yearn to dedicate themselves and lists several movements in the U.S., where this is apparently so. She then explains these ideas from her existential pattern theory developed by her over several years (TAJ 1987, 17/3; 1992 23/1) and proposing three basic human drives: Survival, Expressive, and Quiescence. She then relates these drives to developmental stages and relates this to a case history.

In the closing paragraphs English remarks about the fundamentalist Christian Coalition and concludes with some remarks about threats to our basic liberties.

This article which appeared in a TAJ theme issue on TA and Social applications (1996, 26/1) again demonstrates how transactional analysis can be applied to large social systems in very specific, and I think relevant ways.

Alan Jacobs, Editor.
June 20, 1999

TAJnet reprint of the 1996 article The Lure of Fundamentalism by Fanita English...