I had a strange dream last night. My
God! What did you dream? Were there fish involved?
Or umbrellas, trees, hammers? If so, you were,
in actuality, dreaming about sex.
That is, at least, what Sigmund Freud, the father of
psychoanalysis, would say.
Greetings all friends—and foes—of the
phallus. My name’s Guy, and welcome to It’s History.
Our task in this episode is a thorough psychoanalysis
of Sigmund Freud. Time for him to have a taste
of his own medicine!
Sigismund Schlomo Freud was born in 1856 in
Freiberg, then still part of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire. Young Sigismund soon decided to call
himself Sigmund. He was a very diligent pupil,
and wanted to study. Inspired by Charles Darwin,
he chose medicine. Research into evolution
was of particular interest to him. In 1873,
he commenced his studies at the University
of Vienna. But Chemistry and Zoology weren’t
enough for this keen student. No, he began
to attend lectures on philosophy and mathematics.
In his parents’ view, these were mediocre
pursuits: their boy was to do something practical,
a proper profession!
A scholarship allowed Freud to make it to
a zoological research centre in Trieste. He
was completely over the moon, as a leader
in the field of evolution was in residence.
Freud dedicated himself passionately to his
research, which he pursued on eel testicles.
Each to his own, you might say… Back at
the University of Vienna, Freud began to research
the nervous system of fish. And he explored
the foundations of academic psychology.
Freud passed his exams and was awarded a doctorate
in 1881. In 1885, he set off on a study trip
to Paris. There, the neurologist Jean-Martin
Charcot treated patients suffering from hysteria—to
great public effect. The whole thing was highly
inspirational to Freud, who resolved to busy
himself with hypnosis and suggestion, a process
where one person guides the thoughts of another.
Along with a colleague, he developed talking
therapy, a precursor to psychoanalysis.
In Vienna, Freud began work as a private
lecturer in neuropathology, and established
himself as a doctor at the same time. In 1891,
he moved into the now famous flat at Berggasse 19,
before succumbing to bowel cancer in 1922.
Hardly surprising, perhaps, given that he
smoked 20 cigars a day. Just two years before,
he was made a fully-fledged professor, but
he died in 1939 in his mid 60s in spite of
numerous operations, having fled to London
to avoid Nazi persecution.
You’ll surely know the famous picture of
Freud with the strapline, “What’s on a
man’s mind”. Freud’s face consists almost
entirely of a naked woman. Freud didn’t
really construct a complete theory of sexuality;
it was more that large parts of his psychoanalytic
method revolved around sexuality. He wanted
to understand how the human psyche functioned.
To that end, he interpreted the dreams of
his patients, which he then used to develop
a model. Accordingly, he named the three instances
of the human psyche: the id, the ego, and
the superego.
The id stands for instincts or urges, like
sex. It also stands for needs and feelings
like envy or love. The ego searches for rational
solutions to psychological and social conflicts.
It is a sort of broker between the impulsive
id and the superego, which represents internalised and
habitual actions, roles and the general worldview.
Many of our actions result from the conflict
between the instinctive urges of the id and
the strong, morally astute superego. Between
the two is the ego that tries to bring the
two other opposing elements of the psyche
into harmony.
From this tension between the id and the superego,
says Freud, come our instincts. One of these
instincts is the ego, or the instinct for
self preservation. And, of course, the instinct
for sex, which Freud labels libido. Nowadays,
we use this term to describe lust and desire,
but to Freud, it was a matter of general life
force.
A problem arises here. As the instinct for
sex is located within the id, it is more or
less incalculable. And it stands in opposition
to the instinct for self preservation. Freud
believes that we will do anything to satisfy
lust— a paradigm that is, of course, completely
incompatible with civilised society. For this
reason, Freud says sexuality can be dangerous;
it must be restrained and kept under control.
Freud developed not only a model for the adult
psyche, but also one for infants. Contrary
to the trend in thinking at the time, Freud
didn’t think that children were completely
asexual. Quite the opposite: mature, adult
sexuality comes from the immature sexual state
of the child. From this assumption, Freud
surmises that all people start off bisexual,
but that social norms dictate that we opt
either for homosexuality or heterosexuality
on reaching adulthood.
So, childhood sexuality. You have probably
already heard of the oral and anal phase,
and likewise of the Oedipus complex. This
is enormously important for the development
of adult sexuality. Freud envisaged it thus:
during the phallic phase, the child plays
either with their penis, or their clitoris.
The child desires the parent of the opposite
sex: boys goes for mothers, girls for fathers.
The parent of the same sex, therefore, is
seen as a rival. This notion is what Freud
calls the Oedipus conflict, and it is highly
important for the psyche to overcome this
conflict. This happens when the child identifies
with the parent of the same sex, and adopts
the sexual role that society prescribes. If
this doesn't happen, the Oedipus complex is
the result. A fully grown adult is, in this
situation, not able to detach themself from
the parent in question, and this can lead
to catastrophic consequences. Examples are
failure to adopt a sexual role, to identify
with the opposite sex, or to engage in loving
relationships. So I hope, dear viewers, that
you have managed to overcome your Oedipus
conflict!
Women, according to Freud, are mutilated men,
if you want to put it crudely. Girls exhibit
penis envy, and the clitoris is only a paltry
replacement; the penis, therefore, is the
superior sex organ. Incidentally, Freud sees
no instance of pure masculinity or femininity.
These constructs, as we understand them, are
the product of socialisation and the institutionalisation
of sexual roles.
Freud has often been criticised for being
phallocentric; there might be some truth in
this. And for Freud, sexuality is involved
in all relationships, even if they are not
intrinsically sexual.
Whether you agree with Freud’s analysis
or not, there’s no denying that any talk
of sexuality these days relies on Freudian
concepts. Penis envy, the pleasure principle
and libido are just a few. Freud emphasises
the role of childhood sexuality, from which
adult conceptions of the self develop. And
women must come to terms with the fact that
they are, according to Freud, merely mutilated
men.
Discover more on Freud’s ideas about female
sexuality, along with more up-to-date findings
on female pleasure and desire, in our video
right here.
What do you think? How much currency do Freud’s
theories hold today?
Leave your answers and comments the section
below, and don’t forget to subscribe to
It’s History and be sure to check out or
instagram for some more historical pictures.
