Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud - Book Report/Review Example

The pages read through the book make it very clear that the author was trying to question the real impact of civilization on the individual. This is because the author attempts to weigh two sides of the same issue, which are the positives and negatives that can be associated with civilization. One is forced to ask if there was a state of lawlessness and anarchy before the very first forms of civilizations were realized. This connects with other texts that seek to justify the position that civilization cannot be dated and that it has been with men since the beginning.

To a very large extent, culture context influences the text and the validity of its arguments. For example, even though it is accepted that we are now in a civilized, there continue to be places of the world where cultural and religious principles are made to reign above other forms of laws that are universally accepted to be appropriate. A typical example of this is the practice of stoning of women caught in adultery in some religious settings. Until now, I still hold the opinion that it is culture rather than a civilization that makes the individual discontent.