Theoretical about Freud - Research Paper Example

Theoretical Paper about Freud Abstract The present paper aims to explore the personality and works of renowned twentieth century Austrian psychologist-theorist, analyst, neurologist and intellectual Sigmund Freud by focusing upon his services in multiple fields of psychology. The paper is also interested in respect of evaluating the theories presented by this distinguished psychiatrist, which have obtained worldwide acknowledgement and appreciation in the disciplines of psychology, social psychology and psychoanalysis. The paper will also throw light on the indelible imprints of his intellect and thoughtfulness on the future generations because of his magnificent contributions for developing modern methods of investigations in the discipline. Freud-Theoretical Paper The name and fame of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) are not dependent of any introduction altogether due to the very reality that the popularity of this twentieth century intellectual, analyst and psychologist-theorist is not confined to one single department only. On the contrary, he has rendered his valuable services in the disciplines of neurology, criminology, human sexuality, individual and collective human behavior, cognitive development and others. Freud introduced innovative avenues in the field of psychoanalysis, and invented practical methodology for the complete convalescence of the patients suffering from mental retardation, emotional collapse, sexual perversion and psychological disorders of multiple kinds. Freud has also articulated various theories related to personality development, socialization, aggression and others, where he has presented evidence to support his viewpoint on the causes behind perversion, antagonism, sufferings, emotional disturbance and others. He also determined new dimensions in the interpretation of dreams, and inter-linked the dreams with the unfulfilled carnal desires man is eager to perform, but cannot do the same because of some hurdles, obstacles or limitations prevailing in his culture and social environment. Thus, Freud laid special stress on subconscious that regulates human mind and controls man’s activities. Born to a traditional Jewish family, Freud had been a very brilliant student since his early school years. Being the son of a wool merchant, named Jacob Freud, and his second wife, called Amalie, Freud found imperative difference between the ages of his parents. Being the eldest son of his mother, he remained her favorite child throughout. “Freud had developed great interest in studying the law, but being a very intelligent man, he got acquainted with the fact that law is not an apposite field for the Jews, who had been in minority in the entire region, and were persecuted and were looked down upon by the Christian majority.” (Pervin, 1990:29-30) Consequently, he decided to study medicine to opt it as his career profession for the future years to come. Freud displayed profound aptitude towards neurology, and developed keen interest in unconscious and subconscious. However, he did not confine his interest to neurology; on the contrary, his curiosity helped him discover new horizons of learning different disciplines related to psychological problems and their treatments. Freud was not satisfied with the treatment methodologies prevailing in his contemporary world; nor was he pleased with the age old diagnosis schemes adopted and observed by the neurologists. He looked for some more in-depth analysis of the problems faced by the patients, which were apparently hidden from the eyes of the prevailing diagnosis system. As a result, he suggested conducting of further in-depth investigations and researches related to the entire phenomena in order to assure the treatment process on scientific grounds. Thus, he jumped into the deep waters of research and analysis in order to obtain the precious pearls of knowledge and wisdom in order to improve the psychoanalysis procedure. He had unflinching love for his mother, and always remained her blue eyed boy. His attachment with the mother helped him to closely study the human psychology at domestic level too, which later turned out to be supportive in articulating Oedipus complex. Based upon the ancient Greek tragedy Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus complex theory is of the view that children contain unconscious sexual attraction towards the parent of the opposite gender. In Oedipus the King, the protagonist quite unknowingly kills his father King Laius of Thebes, and marries his mother Queen Jocasta. Freud is of the opinion that the same feelings of sexual attraction are present in every child, though he is not acquainted with the same. Since the theory was quite opposite to the Christian teachings, it startled the contemporary society of the theorist. Consequently, religious circles particularly criticized the theorist for violating the moral values and religious beliefs prevailing in the Victorian and post-Victorian eras. Freud’s theory of personality reflects upon his command over the subject. “The theory actually consists of a number of separable but interrelated mini theories, which he frequently revised over the course of some forty-five years of theorizing that began in the mid-1890s.” (Gay, 1988:31) All the theories including psychoanalysis, aggression theory, Oedipus complex, interpretation of dreams, cognitive development and concepts of id, ego and superego are the part of his theory of personality. Freud’s psychoanalytical approach won unabated applause from all corners of the world, where subconscious and unconscious enjoy imperative place in the concept of psychoanalysis. “According to the theory, human actions and reactions are entirely dependent of basic drives including hunger, sex, energy and appetite to dominate over others.” (Liebert, & Spiegler, 1990: 115) He also declares aggression as completely expression of the energy and strength man contains. Hence, display of aggression is directly reliant of internal conflict and energy. Frustration is also the product of the antagonism the other members of society inflict upon the individual. Freud is of the view that most of the drives have connection with subconscious; it is therefore man performs different actions quite unconsciously. The individuals’ personality traits are also inherited ones, according to Freud, which are adopted by the individuals without having any control over them. Hence, his id, ego and superego also reflect his innate and hereditary traits. The concepts of id, ego and superego are the part of Freud’s psychoanalysis theory. “Id represents the biological substratum of humans, and is source of all drive energy. Similarly, superego represents the moral branch of human functioning, and the function of ego is to express and satisfy the desires of the id in accordance with reality and the demands of the superego.” (Pervin, 1990:43-44) Thus, id is interested in seeking pleasure, whereas superego concentrates perfection. Ego is somewhat regulatory authority and looks for reality instead of mere pleasure or perfection, both of which are almost impossible. Thus, id represents unconscious, while ego reflects conscious in human actions. While elaborating the dreams and hidden meanings behind them, the theorist refutes the very idea that dream take man to some other world for relieving him of the pains and sufferings, as Burdach argues that “the waking life, with its trials and joys, its pleasures and pains, is never repeated; on the contrary, the dream aims at relieving us of these. Even when our whole mind is filled with one subject, when our hearts are rent by bitter grief, the dream either gives us something entirely alien, or it selects for its combinations only a few elements of reality.” (1830:474; quoted in Freud, 1911) Freud is of the opinion that dreams reflect the unfulfilled and unquenched wishes and desires, which man meets in some other world during the travelling of his soul while sleeping. Freud specifically inter-linked dreams with sexual aptitude and carnal desires. Most of the dreams, according to him, reflect the sexual activities man looks to get involved but is unable to perform the same because of the existing moral values, cultural traits, social norms and religious taboos. Thus, though people try to suppress their sexual desires in real life, their subconscious reflects the same in dreams, and they obtain sexual gratification through dreams subsequently. Since there is no evidence of the actions man performs in dreams, nor is there any bar on doing anything in dream, so unquenched wishes come true during sleep without the infliction of any disgrace or penalty. “No other impulse has had to undergo so much suppression from the time of childhood as the sex impulse in its numerous components, from no other impulse have survived so many and such intense unconscious wishes, which now act in the sleeping state in such a manner as to produce dreams.” (Freud, 2010:50) Since the feelings including masochism, narcissism, bisexuality, homosexuality, sadism, exhibitionism and other desires haunt man’s mind, which are strictly prohibited in the eyes of ethics and morality, man suppresses the same with his utmost reluctance and refusal. However, dreams provide the opportunity for the same against which no penalty is imposed upon man. To conclude, it becomes crystal clear that Freud had great command over psychology, and has rendered magnificent services in the growth and establishment of the subject on concrete grounds of research and intellectual validity. His wisdom, foresight, brilliance and hard efforts introduced multiple new theories of psychology. It is therefore, the future researchers are still seeking inspiration and encouragement from the theoretical framework articulated by Freud. His psychoanalysis, dream interpretation and treatment methodologies have turned out to be extremely beneficial in the convalescence of the patients suffering from various nervous, mental, psychological, sexual and emotional retardation, collapse and disorders. It is therefore Freud’s name and theories are aptly recommended while treating the patients on the one hand, and developing new theoretical models on the other. His works have been being taught at all the universities of the world for the last several decades. References Freud, Sigmund (2010) Dream Psychology: Psychoanalysis for Beginners Echo Library Publishers Freud, Sigmund (1911) The Interpretations of Dreams Third Edition Retrieved from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Freud/Dreams/dreams.pdf Gay, P. (1988) Freud: A Life for our Time Norton Publishers New York Liebert, Rober M. & Spiegler, Michael D (1990) Personality: Strategies & Issues Sixth Edition Cole Publishing Company California Pervin, Lawrence A. (1990) Personality: Theory, Assessment & Research Fifth Edition John Wiley & Sons Inc New York Read More