Abstract
This paper articulates Sigmund Freud’s conceptualization of the social world by surveying and critically examining four of his major sociological works: Civilized’ Sexual Morality and Modern Nervous Illness (Freud, 1908/1991b), Totem and Taboo (Freud, 1913/1946), The Future of An Illusion (Freud, 1927/1991d), and Civilization and Its Discontents (Freud, 1930/1991a). The paper also embeds the development of Freud’s social theory within its historical context by discussing the impact of various evolutionary, philosophical, and life event influences. It is argued that Freud’s social theory is merely a projection of his psychological theory of mind, which is predicated on the biogenetic principle (i.e., ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny). In tracing the development of Freud’s social theory over time, an isomorphism is revealed whereby the changes in Freud’s psychological thought reflect the changes in his social thought. In this way, Freud’s sociology can be said to recapitulate his psychology despite Freud’s insistence otherwise.
Highlights
This paper articulates Sigmund Freud‟s conceptualization of the social world by surveying and critically examining four of his major sociological works: Civilized‟ Sexual Morality and Modern Nervous Illness (Freud, 1908/1991b), Totem and Taboo (Freud, 1913/1946), The Future of An Illusion (Freud, 1927/1991d), and Civilization and Its Discontents (Freud, 1930/1991a)
I explicitly argue that Freud‟s social theory is merely a projection of his psychological theory, and as such, it assumes that the dynamics of the individual psyche are isomorphic with the dynamics of the social world
The Future of An Illusion invoked the terms of Freud‟s first theory of the instincts, which resulted in cultural manifestations of unconscious wishes and instinctual desires – thoughts that are reminiscent of „Civilized‟ Sexual Morality and Modern Nervous Illness and in general, Freudian theorizing from 1905 to 1917
Summary
This paper articulates Sigmund Freud‟s conceptualization of the social world by surveying and critically examining four of his major sociological works: Civilized‟ Sexual Morality and Modern Nervous Illness (Freud, 1908/1991b), Totem and Taboo (Freud, 1913/1946), The Future of An Illusion (Freud, 1927/1991d), and Civilization and Its Discontents (Freud, 1930/1991a). I will first draw upon and discuss four works that I believe provide the foundation for his social theory – namely, „Civilized‟ Sexual Morality and Modern Nervous Illness (Freud, 1908/1991b), Totem and Taboo (Freud, 1913/1946), The Future of An Illusion (Freud, 1927/1991d), and Civilization and Its Discontents (Freud, 1930/1991a).
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