Review of Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud

Overview

It stands as a brilliant summary of the views on culture from a psychoanalytic perspective that he had been developing since the turn of the century. It is both witness and tribute to the late theory of mind—the so-called structural theory, with its stress on aggression, indeed the death drive, as the pitiless adversary of eros.

Civilization and Its Discontents is one of the last of Freud's books, written in the decade before his death and first published in German in 1929. In it he states his views on the broad question of man's place in the world, a place Freud defines in terms of ceaseless conflict between the individual's quest for freedom and society's demand for conformity.

Freud's theme is that what works for civilization doesn't necessarily work for man. Man, by nature aggressive and egotistical, seeks self-satisfaction. But culture inhibits his instinctual drives. The result is a pervasive and familiar guilt.

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                                About Civilization and Its Discontents

Available as: E-book $2.99 from Amazon.com's Kindle Store

Recommended Ages: 15 and Up

Kindle Edition: 107 pgs.

Published: December 22, 2013 by Amazon Digital Services

 For This Review:  *Self-Provided Kindle E-book copy for Review*

I return to another look into Sigmund Freud's mind. After being away from his inner thought process after 9 years in other words when I was 12 years old and read Interpretation of Dreams.

I must say I loved reading his all over the place thought process in this one. Unlike my previous experience of his work. 

Sigmund Freud begins by relating the discontents most people have that actually spring forth out of our search for happiness all superimposed with a vast level of complexity. In this there are several paths open to people and whether they succeed in gaining happiness or a lowering of pain in their life in the end depends on them and their natural constitution.

Next Sigmund Freud goes into great detail on how civilization developed. He makes it aware that to get to where we are there were likely many sacrifices for man and in turn there are still many. Many of these cause mental and emotional disturbances for us and are seemingly stoked thanks in part to too many restrictions by society. One of the main ones that Sigmund Freud brings up is civilized sexual morality. Which in opinion, while it does have some truth I also think this is only but one of several factors in that discussion.

Amongst his heavy use of harsh realistic truths he still invariably comes off as impartial. Something I couldn't help but sense. And I wonder if I was the only one? The thing that worried me was whether this impartiality came from a pure sense of wanting to be like that or if he had perhaps given up on humanity. I seriously hope it was the former rather than the latter.

Even so, I heavily enjoyed further reading from Sigmund Freud. A lot of what he touched upon gives clearer insight into the ways of life for us now and not to mention his predictions are spot-on, but most important of all a lot of it was full of logic. 

Overall: Amazing read! 
Genre: Non-Fiction

About Sigmund Freud

Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, who created an entirely new approach to the understanding of the human personality. He is regarded as one of the most influential - and controversial - minds of the 20th century.-Goodreads.com

Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud Annotations and Other Notes Part 4

As we are brought close to an end, it becomes easy to understand that man's difficulties in any age are his unbridled striving for cultural ideals that are more harmful than good. A perfect example is the fact that what we call morality which denotes distinguishing between right and wrong is a socially constructed thing. Created from a childhood authority or culture to our eventual internalization combined with our innate personality.

A thing that doesn't escape Sigmund Freud as he notes that due to the difficult rules held by society, this invariably causes quite the stress for its citizens especially as for even in those called normal control of themselves can only be reached to an extent. Any more and civilization risks causing nervous disturbances, rebellion, or unhappiness.

And finally, somehow still close to the end Sigmund Freud brings up a smaller discourse on what he calls the nervous disorder which he seems to have become interested in. The nervous disorder that he believes is plaguing modern society arises from an attainment of higher progress in the face of growing new technologies and competition causing people to seek out heavy enjoyments in life from modern literature, nosy obtrusive music, and other arts. All to combat their exhausted nerves. Of course, these as Sigmund Freud points out are the symptoms of the nervous disorder that have a far reaching cause. 

And while he sees civilized sexual morality as the main culprit due to its double standards on the sexuality of both men and women: like for example men would be seen as fine if they had many sex partners, while for women that would be seen as wrong and slutty. 

I have to bring up that while I believe Sigmund Freud is correct about civilized sexual morality I also believe this is only one of the causes and not all of them. That said, this detour was quite interesting to read. I couldn't recommend Civilization and Its Discontents enough!

You can buy Civilization and Its Discontents off Amazon.com on Digital

Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud Annotations and on the Meaning of Life Part 3

I now want to focus on the next group of notes I gleaned from reading Civilization and Its Discontents. As Sigmund Freud points out civilization may in fact have been a natural development of so many things working in the direction of human's natural propensity for progress. From man first seeking out sexual or amorous relations to in effect building families, this eventually would lead to the formation of closer knit groups out of necessity. Especially as he realizes that it is necessary so as to better achieve progress. And interestingly out of all this results aim-inhibited relationships (friendships) that are an expansion from sexual/love relationships. This all funnily enough helping to keep society together and further helping to sustain it. Unfortunately for humanity even this is not enough, partly out of an aggressive drive prevalent in all of us that suggests that is a natural instinct. Who knows about this? Though it is hard not to see the logic in it since even I detect certain aggressive drives in me and to be perfectly honest even I see this at times as unreasonable and illogical, but it happens. In other words, I can't help but strongly think Sigmund Freud was onto something. Thankfully with the growth of civilization and these aim-inhibited relationships as well as the building of a family unit, the aggressive drives in us all, is severely limited. Enough for us to function within its framework. Despite its problems that it brings for our search for happiness in its current web. And really I do not think it is all bad, the alternative could just as well be a far worse, perhaps even aimless fate.

Sigmund Freud actually summarizes it beautifully and eloquently:

However, this programme of civilization is opposed by man's natural aggressive drive, hostility of each against all and all against each. This aggressive drive is the descendant and principal representative of the death drive, which we have found beside Eros and which rules the world jointly with him. And now, I think, the meaning of the development of civilization is no longer obscure to us. This development must show us the struggle between Eros and death, between the life drive and the drive for destruction, as it is played out in the human race. This struggle is the essential content of all life; hence, the development of civilization can be described as humanity's struggle for existence.  

Eros: Sigmund Freud in my surmising meant it as love/sexual relationships human beings or the search for fulfillment in love. Destructive drive: I believe he is getting at our aggressive drives or impulses against ourselves or others that would seek to create havoc not only in ourselves but by hurting others. 

Thus it can be said that the rise of civilization stands as humanity's struggle between controlling its negative emotions, impulses, or drives versus its natural instinct for progress in either love or self-pursuit. Death vs. Life, if you will. Always an ongoing balance.

Of course, all this held up through the use of an artificially created moral code also known as morality. Usually it manifests as a sense of guilt in people. It first comes to us as we are younger and our own parents or friends instill it in us through interactions. Whenever we do something that is seen as unacceptable when young this can instill us with a sense of possibly a loss of love if we anger or displease one of them. While infantile it remains in our psyche as we grow. So that before long, when we are adults we carry it onward. Interestingly, whether one is guilty of having perpetuated a wrongdoing or just simply thinking about it, is enough to to cause your super-ego (as in the part of us that carries authority over governing respectable behavior) to see you as guilty. When this happens you are hit uncontrollably with negative emotions. That is if you do not have a weak conscience. That is why more virtuous people have stronger consciences and therefore a higher propensity of guilt. While this all points to a personality essentially nurtured in childhood this couldn't be completely correct, because even children with strict upbringings could potentially not show any effect. So if one has a weak or stronger conscience points to something more innate, something particular and unique to an individual. All vastly interesting. Not only that but morality and conscience found in us seems to all be a civilization construct. Very interesting, indeed.

Finally something not really surprising and that does make logical sense is that our strict conscience develops from our Oedipal complex (early sexual/love for our parents) and also our repressed aggressive impulses. It cannot be said enough that when our mind catches whiff of socially reprehensible thoughts it seeks to punish us with an internal authority created out of our childhood authority.

You can buy Civilization and Its Discontents off Amazon.com on Digital!

Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud Annotations and Why Music Holds Value Part 2

Through my travelings inside Sigmund Freud's mind nothing could be more apparent that he seems to have a distaste for music. 

And out of curiosity I looked into this more and there are other sources that point to this too: [Psychology Today] Why We Love Music—and Freud Despised It. But I will like to focus on what Sigmund Freud seemed to suggest in Civilization and Its Discontents.

He seemed to point to a limitation in music and while that may be true I go further and suggest that music still has other merits besides ones based on pleasure-seeking.

• Music can bring humans solace: Whether people realize it or not this is true. When you cry at a favorite song or when you think "this song really moves me". The musician/music artist is reaching your inner you and you feel validated at an experience you yourself have gone through. This can be understood as that musician/music artist as getting you. And no matter how you look at it, it is incredibly important and one of the most pure experiences in the world.
• The admiration you show a musician or music artist is a validation of another human's exist: I don't think anyone is impervious to the fact that so much in life seems immaterial, but when you actively support a musician you like this shows that you realize their potential as human beings. You are getting music you love while a musician feels happy that his existence means something in the grander scheme of things. 

My only sadness is that I couldn't come up with more reasons to the value of music, because I guess like Sigmund Freud brings up in Civilization and Its Discontents music is truly a mysterious and elusive thing. Why is why conceptualizing it proves difficult. 

You can buy Civilization and Its Discontents off Amazon.com on Digital!

Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud Annotations and Other Notes Part 1

This is something of an anomaly when it comes to ever approaching a book with annotations but when it comes to serious material like Civilization and Its Discontents it is warranted, what with my fondness for philosophical writings and the psychological.

Right off like in Interpretation of Dreams (which I read in 2006), Sigmund Freud, is a master at getting your attention and attacking the discourses brought to mind on his book's title. He begins with relating that due to society's constraints we all invariably develop certain discontents. All brought out in, us, due to our search for happiness or experience of trying to diminish as much as pain as possible in our lives, all while we live under the system created by society. How people approach this is vastly complex and often riddled with struggles. 

Let's get to it. Sigmund Freud mentions there are a couple of paths open to people of all walks of life in order to attain happiness and they are:

#1: Distancing people in life so that you do not get hurt. If you do not get hurt that can be called a type of happiness. 
#2: Using intoxicants like drugs and beer or any alcohol. These though can be detrimental in the long-term not only to your psyche but to others close to you.
#3: Another method to happiness Sigmund Freud brings up is one used more commonly by artists and scientists/inventors. That is creative outlets that artists and scientists employ by way of sublimating their imagination or inner impulses. All in a creative way rather than a way that is socially unacceptable. The interesting thing here is that this path actually somehow can relieve the stress or misery of other individuals. A perfect example is when people listen to music and find solace in it. While on another spectrum is when people read books and they heavily derive pleasure from reading a good story. 

The only problem is even art can only do so much. It's limited. It's not strong enough to keep away people's misery and thus technology, books, music, and all other artistic pursuits are defective. At best temporary. Even more daunting is the fact that even creative individuals are limited in the amount of pleasure they get in creation simply over the reason that those who create cannot really derive as much pleasure from creating than giving in to the full-on original impulses they may have had. Sure creating gives them some enjoyment but it is not the same as having given in to the original impulse.
#4: Those who will be hermits or recluses. This is almost like #1 but here a hermit has completely renounced human contact with everyone in society. The bad thing is many people will frown down upon those who pursue this option simply for the seeming madness it seems to suggest. Needless to say, for any one who wishes to pursue this option things will not end pretty.
#5: Finding happiness or avoidance of pain through falling in love and eventually giving in to sexual love. It's interesting that Sigmund Freud mentions this is the most healthy option since it actually fully activates the natural impulses humans have in the most natural way. Though he does bring up even this option could be potentially filled with pain if for some reason your lover stops loving you or he/she dies.
#6: Those who pursue aesthetic beauty. It's not surprising that throughout the eons people may have had an interest in visually appealing things. Perhaps over us attaining pleasure or satisfaction from it. It's strange, indeed, since beauty for beauty's sake contains no real value but nonetheless as humans we are drawn to it whether in art, film, music,or literature.
#7: Finally, while I personally and even Sigmund Freud would agree this is not a good logical option. This option has to be mentioned since even today some people though misguided choose it. And it is religion. Those who are religious whether in Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or Judaism are essentially stating they are willing to give in to having some hope in the unknown simply because through this they will be part of a collective experience and through this they wont have to be alone. Unfortunately like Sigmund Freud mentions it is infantile thinking simply because some individuals are basically saying they are willing to kneel to religion out of the hope of gaining some amount of happiness on the basis of looking forward to an afterlife that might possibly not even exist. Either that or basically feeling like you need others to complete you. In this case, it seems you have no belief in yourself and need others to make your worth which seems all very saddening, indeed. It's very distorted thinking in my opinion but that is all I can say since at the end of the day people should come to their own conclusions as to why religion is obviously flawed. 

Therefore here are some lines that I believe perfectly illustrate the point of why religion is flawed in one's search for happiness or diminishing of pain:

Religion interferes with this play of selection and adaptation by forcing on everyone indiscriminately its own path...-Sigmund Freud

Its technique consists in reducing the value of life and distorting the picture of the real world by means of delusion-Sigmund Freud

Personally these insights from Sigmund Freud are not entirely new to me since I do employ #1, #2, and #6 in daily life, but I did get better perspective on them through reading Civilization and Its Discontents.

You can buy Civilization and Its Discontents off Amazon.com on Digital