HCJ Lecture 5

The following notes are from our most recent HCJ lecture on Freud.

- The all encompassing theory is the theory of everything. It relates to how everything starts off with a problem.
- Freuds work addresses a problem -> the misery of human condition.
- Our unhappiness is because we are divided. Ultimately, we are alienated by ourselves. Marx had a similar starting point.
- Freud believed that we don't know what we want, we are unhappy inside. Not only this, but he thinks that we are all troubled. Freud was a psychiatrist for a while and listened to peoples problems. By doing this, he found out that most people had problems, and if they thought they didn't, then they were kidding themselves.
- Freuds answer to this was psychoanalysis. 'We think that we are rational, but were not'. He believed that there is a secret part of ourselves that make decisions, but we didn't even know about it.

We live in a Freudian world, whether we like it or not. Freud was an atheist, even though both his parents were Jewish. He was not only an atheist, he was also a cocaine addict, was deeply ambitious and also a well known celebrity of his time. He believed that he had discovered the archeology of the mind. Freud strongly believed in the unconscious mind, he thought that people will say what they really think by accident, even if you don't want to say it. Ultimately, it's because it's what you really believe and want to say. You can access the dominant part of your mind through your dreams. Most people do need psychoanalysis, as they have underlying problems that they don't know about. This is one of Freuds most adamant points. At the centre of this is a deep pessimism, Freud was very pessimistic about us as humans, his theories are a dark vision of humanity.

Attack on Plato
Freud followed Platos ideas of the tripartite self - reason, spirit and desire. This can relate to the chariot image, there are 2 horses and a charioteer. The 2 horses are spirit and desire and the charioteer is the reason. Plato thought that reason is in control of spirit and desire. In contrast to this, Freud thought reason was the weakest, are people are irrational as we are driven by our desires.

Attack on Marx
Marx thinks of the self also via the tripartite self - natural, alienated and species self. He believed that we would progress to a happier self and society. Teleological relates to things moving forward, everything is going somewhere. Our deepest needs are aggression  the wilful desire to hurt others and ultimately seek our own destruction in the death wish - this can be related to the ideas of Hobbes.  Freud takes Hobbes and Machiavellis view in terms of human nature.

The Freudian Personality
Freud sees the reality of human nature as pain and suffering - arising from his own internal division. He splits the mind into 3:
1. The ID - Answer to misery. The ID is with us from birth and is at our core. Sex and aggression are related highly to the ID. It is the dominate part of the personality. "A cauldron of seething excitations" - Freud. The ID is the temper tantrum throwing toddler who throws a fit in the middle of the supermarket.
2. Ego or Self - Reality principle. This is the least powerful personality trait. It is the voice of reason. Moderation and common sense are the traits related to the ego/self.
3. Super Ego - We do not have the super ego when we are born, it comes from the outside, from people such as parents, teachers and society. The Super Ego is totally irrational (the same as the ID). It is the parent saying 'do better', 'be perfect', 'get an A*'. The Super Ego also punishes with guilt. Freud relates the super ego with religion.

Freud believed that society is full of suffering because it is full of pain, and there are 3 types of different pain.
1. Our own decaying body - natural - headaches, back pain etc
2. Nature - the external world - slings and arrows of outrageous future - rain and wind = a pain. It is all unpleasant.
3. Greatest Pain - our every day interaction with one another as people is loaded with pain. People are out to get us, to hurt us, but we as irrational beings are inclined to hurt others also.

Freud thinks that the answer is psychoanalysis, however this is not open to everyone. He believes it is needed to strengthen the ego, however it is expensive and the masses will end up continuing on their destructive path. Freud outlines the same coping mechanisms, but does not recommend them. Some of them are as followed;
1. Chemical solution - Intoxication - it is temporary.
2. Isolation - Temporary and it only works for a few people
3. Religion - As a type of sublimation - mass delusion.
4. Sublimation - Finding socially acceptable releases for aggression e.g. sport.

Civilisation is a collective super ego, imposing moral limits on the ID.

Marx states that if we change the system, things will change, but Freud says that we are the system, if we eliminate property we will not get rid of aggression. The answer is psychoanalysis. Freud claimed he had found a way to deal directly with the unconscious  the ID. In sleep the ego switches off. In dream world the ID is rampant, dreams show the complete truth. Freud believed that there was no way to escape aggression.

Many people don't believe in Freud, however with the media and society, Freud was highly influential. Freud also influenced the modernist movement.

James Joyce - writing in a way of breaking of the rules. Free association - the unconscious would come to the surface. A way to release the ID is to be creative. Childhood obsessions and impacts - Freudian outlook.

Attacks on Freud
Popper - Freud was vague so Karl Popper believed that his theories couldn't be proven.
Schopenhauer spoke of similar things such as controlling sexual urges, therefore it portrayed that Freud was actually not the first person to create these points.