Sigmund Freud Civilization and Discontent
We all know what civilization means but what does discontent mean? Discontent means lack of contentment or dissatisfaction. The title is a little misleading because the reading was more about the nature of human psyche and civilization. This reading was very broad. In the beginning Freud states, "I adopt the standpoint that the inclination to aggression is an original, self-subsisting instinctual disposition in men, and I return to my view that it constitutes the greatest impediment to civilization". Yet he doesn't bring any examples of the type of aggression. What aggression is he talking about and why is it the greatest impediment (hindrance) to civilization? He moves on to talk about the struggle between Eros and Death. Next comes the sense of guilt. Which apparently comes from the tensions between the ego and the super ego. I personally think that we learn the sense of guilt from our thoughts that lets us experience our actions in our minds. When we put our selves in the shoes of others we can experience good actions and bad actions that we are about to do. The bad actions that we experience give us a sense of guilt and discourage us from doing these "bad" things to others. Freud touches up on the commandment to "love one's neighbor as oneself" or do on to others, as you would like others to do on to thyself. Closer to the end of the reading he compares ethics. In the reading there is very little about dissatisfaction about civilization. There are a lot of different points but I do not understand his view on civilization and dissatisfaction with it. Maybe I am just not understand this text or putting to much emphasis on the title. I just didn't like how he brings in a wide variety of subjects from Jesus Christ to ethics to Eros and id but does not have a good conclusion.
