In his work Civilization and its Discontents, Sigmund Freud applies his psychoanalytic theories about individual psychology to whole societies. He questions why human beings are so miserable in modern civilization and argues that the central problem is maintaining a balance between individual desires and the demands of society. Freud proposes that civilization arises from two drives in human nature: Eros, the life drive, and Thanatos, the death drive. Society controls the individual through internalized discipline and fear of losing love from the community.
4. Civilization and its Discontents
• Application of Freud’s ideas about
individuals to whole societies
• Main question: Why are human beings so
miserable in modern society?
• Central problem of civilization:
how to maintain a balance between the
individual & society
5. Civilization and its Discontents
• Eros – love drive
• Thanatos – death drive
• Internalized discipline
• Fear of loss of love
6. Civilization and its Discontents
•Guilt as the central problem of
civilization
• Aggressiveness turned inward
• Motivator for “good”
•Repressing Eros and Thanatos =
• Neuroses?
• Sublimation?
