Reference no: EM133203296 , Length: Word count: 3 Pages

Assignment Task: Review the paper: Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud

Study Questions:

In paragraph one: What is Freud citing as the cause of neurosis in a "person's environment and society at large"?

In paragraph two: For Freud "sexual love" is fine when limited to what? But more problematic when it comes to what?

In paragraph three: Freud states that the desired state in which a  "civilized community could consist of pairs of individuals" is not possible. Civilization"endeavors to bind the members of the community to one another by libidinal ties as well." To do this civilization alters libido into aim-inhibited libido that is channeled into what kind of relationship?  How this can be done?

In paragraph four: Freud talks about another area in human nature that can cause problems for civilization. What is it? How can this "instinct" manifest itself with one's neighbor, according to Freud? What point is he making about "Homo homini lupus"? [In Latin: "A man is a wolf to another man].

Paragraph five: Begins with Freud stating the overall consequences for human instinctual urges. What are they?

What point is Freud making about the "ideal command." What is it?

Paragraph six: Begins with another attack on a core principle of the Enlightenment: that reason can be used to create social systems that will create equality and justice. What is the premise of communism Freud is citing here? What does Freud mean when he says communism is psychologically "... rounded on an untenable illusion." What is that illusion? Why does it fail, according to Freud?

Paragraph seven: Opens with what could be considered a comment as Freud as therapist. What would happen if people were deprived of aggression? Freud explains how smaller communities solve this problem. How?

 Freud, who was Jewish himself, offers this as a reason why the about Jewish were persecuted throughout Europe. He seems to be sarcastic when he says the Jewish people have in "this way rendered services." Remember this was written by Freud pre-WWII and the Holocaust. One wonders if he would have said it this afterwards.

Paragraph eight: Begins with a contrast between primitive life and civilized life. In one sense Freud says primitive people had it better in life. A central point of his lecture is what civilization has exchanged? What is it? 

Paragraph nine: Freud is the imminent threat of 'la miserepsychologique' [psychological misery] of groups in light of the present state of civilization.  What does he mean?