By 1923 Psychoanalysis, and Freud, had come a long way. What had started as a limited technique to treat one form of neurotic symptom had evolved into a general theory of human psychology. Many of the early components of the theory had changed or been elaborated over the years. In The Ego and the Id Freud presents his mature theory, presenting to the public his now famous "structural" theory, consisting of the Id, Ego and Superego. Note that in the original German these terms are given in ordinary language, "Das Es" (the "It") and "Das Ich" (the "I"). Freud's English translators felt that ordinary language sounded too, well, ordinary, and so substituted Latin forms to make it sound more "scientific".
In the context of this structural theory, Freud's conception of the Oedipal Complex, always thought to be crucial, takes on added significance. The Ego, portions of which are also now seen as unconscious, is also given increased importance. Later psychologists, in basic agreement with Freud's approach but feeling that orthodox psychoanalysis placed too much emphasis on the Id and involuntary, biological instincts, would find in this book Freud's permission to expand upon the role and function of the Ego. This would become a major point of contention - how active is the Ego and conscious aspects of the personality?
Read the assigned excerpts from The Ego and the Id and come to class prepared to discuss the questions below. Note that the excerpts are somewhat complicated. Read the following pages from the Freud Reader: p. 628 through the second paragraph on p. 632; last two paragraphs on p. 634 through second paragraph on p. 636; last paragraph on p. 639 through last paragraph on p. 643.
The Ego and The Id
1. Freud has frequently been accused of being rigid and dogmatic.
Evaluate this charge in light of the preface to this book.
2. What is the "fundamental premise" of psychoanalysis according to Freud? Why is this distinction, as important as it is, no sufficient?
3. How does Freud describe the differences and relationship between the Id and the Ego? (Note: Pcpt-Cs means "perception-Consciousness").
4. What is the "ego-ideal" and where does it come from?
5. Describe the course of the Oedipus Complex. What happens to the "boy's object-cathexis of his mother"?
6. Freud states that the super-ego is also "an energetic reaction-formation". What does he mean by this?
7. How does Freud use the super-ego as the basis not just for the conscience, but also of religion and "the higher nature of man".