Representation of the Civilization by Freud - Term Paper Example

1 Freud’s representation of the civilization takes into account the complexity of society that has translated into the creation of multiple perspectives and notions which aim to expound upon the existence of human beings with respect to their socio-cultural and historical environment. Aphex Twin’s life, through the application of these ideologies is most pertinent to Freud’s pleasure principle which essentially motivates human beings to realize their instinctual wishes (“Overview of Freud’s Civilization and its Discourse”). According, to the application of this principle human beings adopt a distinct course of action once, it is understood that their desires cannot be fulfilled. Consequently, this action is undertaken as a means combating the temptation of unfulfilled wishes which need to be attained through the selection of a particular path, whether negative or positive (Freud 11). Analyzing, the selection made by Aphex Twin one can comprehend that the individual’s desire for the realization of pleasure was attained by the means of a positive outlet in the diverse form of art such as music. This notion is termed as Substitutive escapism where an individual may choose to explore the services that are provided by the mode of expression that is art (“Overview of Freud’s Civilization and its Discourse”). Within this context, Freud’s description of Aphex Twin’s life can viewed through the lens of the pleasure principle and the coping mechanisms that are favored by an individual to escape these pleasures. 1.2 According to the abundant literature which has aimed to unravel the mysteries of madness and its vivid association with the minds of poets, artists and musicians, the whims of such creations are understood to be the products of deranged souls whose yearnings often mask under the temperance of art (Foucault 29). Foucault’s theories on discourse, knowledge and power examine the evolution of mankind from the middle ages to modernity, the ramification of which has been a comprehensive understanding of madness and what the concept essentially implies. Within the context of western modernity, Aphex Twin’s life and career are marked by significant progress during the course of which the artist has been able to redefine music, represent a generation and utilize his capabilities to create an illusion that emerges from profound reflection (“Historical And Sociocultural Contexts For Foucault’s Madness And Civilization”). If Foucault’s views on madness and its gradual development with the progress of humanity are to be applied, then Aphex Twin’s artistic creation can be viewed from the concept of creativity which is characterized by social transgression and a transcendence of socially accepted boundaries (“Foucault on Art and Madness”). This observation postulates that art and its forms can be comprehended as a means of liberation where an individual can only seek solace through expression that may appear abstract to those who have not dared to cross the borders of sanity. This notion essentially assesses the work of Aphex Twin in the light of madness, ingenuity and audacity. 1.3 An example of the dimensions of the pleasure principle that has been provided by Freud in his work encompasses the notion of pleasure in the form of intellectual effort and the role of the external environment in fulfilling an individual’s desires. Freud asserts that the pleasure derived by a human being is a notion which is dependent upon several factors, therefore, if an individual’s external environment is not able to assist the attainment of his/her desires then it is likely that such a person would resort to the selection of substitute-gratifications and fall in the trap of a mental illness (11). For Foucault, the foundations of madness reside in the special bond that is shared by an artist and his work. In this context, Foucault refers to personalities such as Van Gogh and Nietzsche in describing their relentless commitment to the achievement of an aim which later transpired in the form of works that we know today. This view asserts that in the meeting between art and madness their comes a time when the former is challenged by the latter and art eventually succumbs (Foucault 285), and that in fact is the moment when the truth behind art emerges in its purest form. 1.4 Apart from the category of substitutive escapism which constitutes of religion, art and fantasy as mechanisms that can help an individual cope with the strains of not being able to fulfill their desires, Freud presents the example of structure which can act as a measure of coping with the forces of the pleasure principle. The category of structure is characterized by the presence of college and career which can provide an individual with a way of channeling his/her energies towards the attainment of positive goals (“Overview of Freud’s Civilizations and its Discontents”). On the other hand, Foucault’s use of the term ‘structure’ is indicative of entirely different meaning which is provided within the context of lepers and in his discussions of the evolution of treatments for mental illness over various epochs in history. This concept refers to the role of religion and the Christian church in treating patients of leprosy which aimed to revive the victims with spiritual revitalization and the practicing of strict guidelines which completely excluded the sufferers from society (“Historical and Sociocultural Context for Foucault’s Madness and Civilization”). 1.5 In one of the scenes from Quills, the zenith of Marquis De Sade’s madness and love for his art depicts the character in the dungeon. Fully unclothed, in tremendous pain and fighting for his last breaths he puts down his final work on the dungeon’s wall with his feces. This scene is a representation of the analysis which entails that in the battle between art and madness, it is always madness which gains ascendancy yet it is a creator’s art which triumphs. A particular scene from The Savages which presents the evolution of the modern care for illnesses such as dementia, progresses with the argument between Wendy and her brother Jon, Wendy proposes that their ailing father should be served in the best mental facility that the city has to offer however, her brother opposes this decision. The reason for this opposition stems from the fact that their father Lenny would not realize the difference between one care facility and another because of his condition. This scene represents the challenges that western modernity has brought with itself in the treatment and care for patients suffering from madness. In the opening scene of Titicut Follies, the audience is left immediately engaged, confused and bewildered by the performance of the marching band which surprisingly comprises of both sane and insane members. This scene is representative of a deeper meaning which aims to define the presence of madness in normal society and how the distinction between sanity and insanity is projected by vague observations. 1.6 The objective of the analysis considers the contrasts in Freud and Foucault’s examinations of madness and the medium of art in the form of music. The crux of the notion for Foucault outlines the concept of creativity and its association with modes of expression. Creativity in this context, is comprehended to be something which transcends the boundaries that have been dictated by society to the explore nuances that one wishes to discover (“Foucault on Art and Madness”). By referring to the lives of renowned personalities such as Tasso, Nietzsche and Rousseau, the author expounds upon the association between madness and art to postulate that one is incomplete without the other and it is the culmination of these concepts which leads to the creation of perfection. Foucault states that “…madness is contemporary with the work of art, since it inaugurates the time of its truth” (289). On the contrary, Freud’s assessment of madness and art presents a stark contrast from that of Foucault. For Freud, the foundations of art are based in its position as a measure of coping with the grief of not being able to realize the desires that an individual wishes to pursue. Rather than being a notion which stems from madness and reaches its perfection in its culmination with the concept, Freud understands that art is a form of substitutive mechanism like fantasy or religion (“Overview of Freud’s Civilization and its Discontents”). 1.7 The comparisons of Freud’s and Foucault’s perspectives on the notion of art, madness, knowledge and truth are symbolic of a wider conflict that essentially presents varied directions of the same destination. The purpose here is to comprehend the essence of psychological anthropology and the association between the disciplines of psychology and anthropology within past and present context. For Freud, the application of psychology within the field of anthropology extends to the analysis of human beings, their practices and how these practices are prompted by the assertions of the pleasure principle (“A Historical Overview of Psychological Anthropology”). Foucault’s contribution to the subject however, explores the stages of human evolution marked distinctly in the examination of The Middle Ages, Renaissance, The Neo-Classical Era and Modernity with respect to the periods of madness (“Foucault on Madness: Discourse, Knowledge, Power, Truth”). 1.8 The approaches adopted by Freud and Foucault in contributing towards psychological anthropology have played a critical role in contributing towards the discipline in a contrasting manner. Freud’s examinations on the subject draw significant influence from the roots of psychology which incorporates the pleasure principle and the reality principle into the assessments. However, Foucault comprehends the discipline from the perspective of culture, human progress and evolution of societies by commenting on the contribution of various factors in shaping a notion that is as complex as madness. 2.1 The concepts of selfhood and identity originate from the analyses on cognitive anthropology and can also be applied to the arguments put forth by Wallace’s model of revitalization movements. This notion emerges from an understanding of self, which is defined as a human being’s perception of themselves and of the entities around them. Furthermore, selfhood is comprehended as a concept which is gradually developed rather than being innate or inherent. The factors that are contributive towards the evolution of selfhood are defined as social interactions, role playing and identifying with others (“Cognitive Anthropology”). On the basis of these observations psychological anthropologists have been able to define the concept of identity the achievement of which is believed to be the primary objective of individuals. Regardless of the fact that the creation of an identity is defined to be a core aim of human beings, a sense of self unity is never entirely achieved. However, individuals still endeavor to achieve this aim in accordance with the prescribed conditions that have been defined by their respective cultures (“Cognitive Anthropology”). The foremost statement with regards to this concept implies that the existence of a culture-free self is a notion that is null and void. For Wallace, identification is defined as a choice (359). In his assessments of culture and identification Wallace highlights the failure of cultural revivals and movements that were initiated for the purposes of importing culture. It is believed that the realization of culture, selfhood and identification will be triggered in a future state of utopia where the functioning, perceptions and expectations of culture are considered to be entirely novel. Wallace asserts that such possibilities only reflect the emergence of ideal types (360). Despite of the fact that each revitalization movement has tried or at least intended to integrate traditional and imported constituents of culture, the outcome of these movements has never displayed a significant degree of identification (Wallace 360). This view states that revitalization movements always succumb to a specific perspective rather than meeting the objectives behind their establishment. 2.2 Robert Jay Lifton presented the example of the protean man and woman who believe in adopting various identities rather than yearning for a concrete notion of self. The protean man and woman search for unique psychological quests (“Cognitive Anthropology”). This is essentially a reflection of the modern man and woman trying to break free from cultural boundaries to explore their inner self. These dimensions of identities are defined as “Historical dislocation” and “Flooding of imagery” (“Cognitive Anthropology”). LeVine highlights the cultural practice of salutation, for example, in the Mehinaku culture greeting another person is based on the identification of a range of factors such as the relationship and the place before choosing an appropriate greeting to commence a social interaction (245). 2.3 A practical example of Wallace’s model of revitalization movements is that of native-white associations in North America and Melanesia (360). Wallace states that the culture of North America served as a revival orientation whereas; Melanesia was the source of importation. In this case American Indians responded to the white population in a more positive manner because the extent to which they were oppressed and suppressed was much less in comparison with the Melanesians who refused to accept oppressive forces (360). Another example, of selfhood and identity has been put forth by Hollan who highlights that in societies other than the West, the perceptions of man are based in the foundations of culture, personal interactions and identification which ultimately leads to the creation of the self (295). Works Cited LeVine, Robert A., ed. Psychological Anthropology: A Reader on Self in Culture. Wiley. com, 2010. Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its discontents. WW Norton & Company, 2005. Foucault, Michel. Madness and civilization: A history of insanity in the age of reason. Random House Digital, Inc., 1988. Wallace, Anthony FC. "Revitalization movements." American anthropologist58.2 (1956): 264-281. Hollan, Douglas. "Cross-cultural differences in the self." Journal of Anthropological Research (1992): 283-300. The Savages. Dir. Tamara Jenkins. Perf. Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, Fox Searchlight, 2007. Film. Quills. Dir. Philip Kaufman. Perf. Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Caine. Fox Searchlight, 2000. Film. Titicut Follies. Dir. Frederick Wiseman. Zipporah Films, Inc., 1967. “Foucault on Art and Madness”. PowerPoint Presentation. “Overview of Freud’s Civilization and its Discontents”. PowerPoint Presentation. “A Historical Overview of Psychological Anthropology”. PowerPoint Presentation. “Historical and Sociocultural Context for Foucault’s Madness and Civilization”. PowerPoint Presentation. “Three Approaches to Social Structure and Personality”. PowerPoint Presentation. “Cognitive Anthropology”. PowerPoint Presentation. Read More