Freud Theories Flashcards
The Oedipus Complex
A man’s sexual desire for his mother and murderous jealousy of his father
Jung’s thoughts on girls’ reaction re sexuality and emergence from puberty…
The Electra Complex
Electra deeply opposed to her mother as she believes she has murdered her father and therefore plots with her brother to murder her mother - Clytaemestra
Ego, Id and super ego - Freud
The ego the mind’s outer surface, has conscious thoughts but also (without our conscious mind knowing) keeps threatening unconscious thoughts and impulses in check. It is the social self and exits in the realm of reality.
The core of the psyche is the Id, from the Latin ’it’ it is the dark, unconscious, libidinous centre of interior experience, the locus of impulses and passions, the ‘wild horse’ ridden and checked by the ego. It can be the cause of guilt its actions monitored and approved (most of the time) by the ego.
The ‘super ego’ or ‘ego ideal’. - That which the self wishes to become, the seat of morality, duty and faith.
The superego is in the end, the part of the self that is self-critical, that measures the distance between reality and the ideal and that feeds off the energy of the Id in order to channel the ego towards higher goals I.e., sublimation (the achievements of human civilisation, art and the great ideas).
The Pleasure Principal - Freud
Is:-
We have the most fun when we feel absolutely nothing, especially not desire.
Pleasure is a state where nothing ever happens.
Pleasure is not a positive feeling but rather the absence of “unpleasure” - the German “unlust”.
Homeostasis an undisturbed state which we really want the psychological equivalent of the principle of inertia.
Whilst we may want pleasure (stasis) our decisions or actions do not always lead us towards it.
Other factors to be considered- the “reality principle’ I.e.the accommodation of reality in the service of self-preservation; often, pleasure must be postponed or sacrificed if we are to experience pleasure in the future.
Beyond the pleasure principle - Freud
‘Repetition compulsion’: a mysterious tendency to repeat or re experience (in life or in dreams) even unpleasant experiences.
E.g. the tendency of some to always find themselves in abusive relationships.
An attempt to revisit failures or traumas that we were unable to defend ourselves against in an attempt to master them and be ready to deal with any attempt at reoccurrence.
