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Title: Civilization and Its Discontents (Penguin Modern Classics) by Sigmund Freud, Leo Bersani, David McLintock ISBN: 0-14-118236-9 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 04 July, 2002 Format: Paperback |
Average Customer Rating: 4.44 (16 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Weak arguments, and a poor introduction to Freud
Comment: While I agree that Civilization and Its Discontents has some kernels of truth within it, I cannot recommend it either as a persuasive piece or as an introduction to Freudian thought. I do not know if, in his longer works, Freud actually supports any of his statements with more than the weak ancedotal proofs he gives here; nor do I know if he actually works through his arguments to a logical conclusion instead of relying on sensationalistic statements with no basis in his evidence. Suffice to say he does not meet the minimum requirements, in my opinion, for philosophical or scientific excellence, in this book. Furthermore, the rambling, vague, and disorganized nature of this book makes its usefulness as a mere introduction to Freud extremely weak. I would only suggest using it as a companion to such other works as Five Lectures on Psychoanalysis, or as an immediate overview and introduction to The Future of an Illusion (which, though written earlier than Civilization, more fully elucidates many of the principles Freud touts here). As a long-time student of classical thought, philosophy, and ethics, not to mention the fundamental principles of logic, I found myself highly unimpressed with this work, and saw no great haven of Truth within it. Further, having been raised by Secular Humanists, I am less than convinced of the practical merits of Freud's ideas. Read it if you like, but don't expect to find salvation or much enlightenment out of these few pages...
Rating: 5
Summary: My conception of Frued's "Civilization and It's Discontents"
Comment: To whoever is interested in Freuds "Civilization and It's Discontents" I SAY READ IT! An excellent book which depicts civilization for what it is. In this book Freud discussed a varity of topics such as religion, sex, happiness and human suffering (listed in no particular order). I think that the entire purpose of the book was to show humans that civilization is not any better than times before it occured. We tend to think of ourselves better than pre-civilized times however, nothing has changed because reality is constant. Human nature is focused on beauty, instinct and will.
Rating: 4
Summary: Freud as psychoanalytic sociologist.
Comment: Sigmund Freud, whatever the variations in his posthumous reputation, remains the most compelling, daring, and persuasive analyst of the human condition we have. His psychoanalytic theories of sexuality, sublimation, repression, etc., offer original insights that profoundly influenced the course of Western consciousness in the 20th century. In addition to his gifts as a thinker, Freud was a master stylist, a man whose luminous prose and skillful argumentation make reading him a genuine pleasure.
"Civilization and Its Discontents," one of Freud's last works, remains one of his most vital and important. Don't be fooled by its brevity; this is a deeply complex and wide-ranging examination of Western civilization and its tensions. Freud speculates about the origins of our modern societies, the difficulties of assimilating ourselves to them given our own individual psyches, and ends the book with a rather pessimistic look forward. Clearly, Freud felt that civilization's "discontents" were an unresolvable fact of life.
What makes "Civilization and Its Discontents" so fascinating is Freud's application of psychoanalysis to Western society as whole. He examines how the factors at play in our own psyches--family conflicts, sexual desire, guilt, the "death instinct," and the eternal battle between our own self-interest and the interests of the human species at large--cause the problems that human beings encounter on a daily basis. As always with Freud, his ideas are put forward not as a final statement, but as a tentative first step.
This is one of Freud's indispensable texts, and its accessible and absorbing style make it an ideal introduction for those who are seeking to discover this colossal mind for the first time. A must read.
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Title: The Future of an Illusion by Sigmund Freud, James Strachey, Peter Gay ISBN: 0393008312 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: August, 1989 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Beyond the Pleasure Principle by Sigmund Freud, James Strachey, Gregory Zilboorg ISBN: 0393007693 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: February, 1990 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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Title: The Ego and the Id (The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud) by Sigmund Freud, James Strachey, Joan Riviere ISBN: 0393001423 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: September, 1990 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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Title: Totem and Taboo; Some Points of Agreement Between the Mental Lives of Savages and Neurotics. by Sigmund Freud, James Strachey, Peter Gay ISBN: 0393001431 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: September, 1962 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud ISBN: 0380010003 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 20 March, 1980 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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