1.  By Bobby LaRose

2.  Considered “cultural philosopher” of his time. o Developed new ways for humans to view themselves o Had theory that human mind was a complex system of energy  Attempted to connect what happened in the mind with the reality of the outside world.

3.  Born in Frieberg, Moravia in 1856.  Studied medicine at the University of Vienna o Focused on neurology  Began his career working as a doctor at Vienna General Hospital in 1882 after receiving his medical degree.  In 1886, opened a private practice as a clinical psychologist.

4.  Developed “depth psychology” theory, which was the basis for his use of psychoanalysis to treat patients  General description of human mind used to cure nervous and mental disorders  Freud argued in his theory that there is constant tension between man and his environment, particularly between one’s own needs or drives and the demands of society.

5.  These “human drives” that Freud discovered through psychoanalysis supported his argument that man is not a truly rational being. o Our actions are not always guided by reason, but rather by irrational impulses, which affect what we think, dream, or do.  Example of a basic human need: an infant’s instinct to cry when upset.  Freud argued that babies have sexuality, and that the human sexual drive is as basic as an infant’s need to cry. o Led to his theory that the causes of psychological disorders were based upon childhood conflicts

6.  As young children, we live out our needs directly and without embarrassment. o Crying when we do not receive what we want immediately. o All we are as infants is the “Id”, the part of the mind that seeks out only pleasure.  As we become mature young adults, the “Id” is controlled by our “Ego”, the part of our minds that recognizes reality and places limitations on doing certain things.  The “Superego” further suppresses our desires that are not accepted by the outside world or that are not “politically correct”.

7.  The Superego is technically our C onscience, advising us on what is morally correct to do.  If the conflict between the “Id” and “Superego” becomes too intense, could cause serious problems. o Continually trying to prevent a desire from reaching our conscious mind and shoving it back into our subconscious is not mentally healthy.  From all his discoveries from psychoanalysis, Freud concluded that to prevent psychological disorders, it was necessary to let thoughts and desires flow between the conscious and subconscious.

8.  Example of how deliberately suppressing a subconscious thought directly affects the actions of the conscious: o An employee is chosen to toast a boss at a special dinner. o The boss is known for being VERY unpopular, so much that people call him a “swine” behind his back. o Although the employee thoroughly despises the boss, he tries to hold back his real feelings. He ends up saying what he truly means to say, and toasts the boss with, “Here’s to the swine!” before he even realizes it. The Employee The Angry Boss

9.  Psychoanalysis helped him discover things about the human mind: o We have natural drives which, if continually suppressed/pushed back into subconscious, could create tension which leads to mental illness. o These suppressed drives can sometimes resurface briefly into the conscious in form of irrational impulses which sometimes affect what we say and do before we notice it. o As we become mature adults, our ego and superego clash with the sometimes unaccepted desires of our id, which creates lifelong moral struggles inside our minds.  Freud’s philosophy of human behavior has affected the way in which many people view the aspects of human nature.

10.  Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie’s World. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1994.  Kidder, David S. and Noah D. Oppenheim. The Intellectual Devotional: Modern Culture. New York: Rodale, 2008.  Thornton, Stephen P. “Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 16 Apr. 2001. 22 May 2011..