Totem und Tabu / Einige Übereinstimmungen im Seelenleben der Wilden und der Neurotiker

Name: Totem und Tabu / Einige Übereinstimmungen im Seelenleben der Wilden und der Neurotiker
Author: Sigmund Freud

A set of four essays applies psychoanalytic ideas to ethnographic reports, comparing the mental life of so-called primitive communities with that of neurotics. One essay investigates incest prohibitions and the social structures that enforce them, interpreting these rules as expressions of ambivalent feelings and internalized restraints. Another examines taboos and associated compulsive rites, arguing that prohibitions coexist with cleansing and compensatory rituals that manage guilt and anxiety. A further essay links animistic and magical beliefs to childhood modes of thought and the sense of mental omnipotence. The final essay offers a speculative reconstruction of totemic institutions as symbolic remnants of early family conflicts and collective atonement.

By Sigmund Freud

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Psychiatry/Psychology

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Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. He is best known for his theories of the unconscious mind, the mechanism of repression, and the significance of dreams in understanding human behavior. Freud's influential works include "The Interpretation of Dreams," where he explores the symbolic meanings of dreams, and "Beyond the Pleasure Principle," which examines the motivations behind human behavior. His ideas have profoundly impacted psychology, literature, and the arts, making him a pivotal figure in the development of modern thought.