Socrates View on Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents Term Paper

Socrates View on Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents - Term Paper Example In dealing with the reality, it may have become typical for the ego of a man to necessitate separating itself from the harsh truth of real inevitable circumstances, yet Freud must add that it is also through having a sense of genuine community, or of acknowledging the value of socialization and the distinct characteristic of companionship that would help resolve the alienating trait of the ego. To some extent, Freud may be met more than halfway in his claim that ego bears the counter potential of developing for itself an attribute which would make it become capable of securing happiness and fulfillment later on. This is the point where he provides adequate discourse of civilization and the tensions associated with the inner struggle of each individual to cope with its influence. However, Freud appears to draw inference at reducing this effort on arguing that the purpose of life executes fundamentally around the pleasure principle, designating projected human ends to a rather limited cause of shifting out of the cycle of consuming displeasure. It would have been better if, in the process of finding settlement with happiness and trying to rid oneself of suffering, highest human goal attainable which transcends discontents in the material world emerges in realization. He could have accounted for the possibility of going beyond the perception of pleasure as deeply embedded in every conscious faculty having the concern of gratifying the need to drive away incompetence. To Freud, it occurs that the ego assumes the chief role or is central in directing response as a human being attempts to explore various strategies by which to adapt to the environment in possession of elements of discontent to which an individual reacts to ascertain how particular circumstances can be worked to acquire the favor of securing contentment. In fairness though, ‘Civilization and Its Discontents’ signifies what Freud considers as a religious sentiment, brought about by an â₠¬Ëœoceanic feeling’ of wholeness, eternity, and limitlessness as if in a pure state of bliss. He elaborates nevertheless that such is of pathological origins which dissolve the boundary between ego and object of pleasure so that once this is achieved, one is led to a religious degree of relief with cares thrown away due to detachment of inclination to materialism which creates suffering from human weakness often predisposed to sexual desires and violent mode of aggression conventionally against figures of prominence. Freudian concept of ‘civilization’ refers to a man-made entity embodying materialization of human ideals that may eventually address proper gratification of instincts as well as serve to stimulate intellectual functions in order for the ego to manage its own foundation of placing balance between the ‘Id’ and the ‘Superego’. This is not significantly different from establishing a form of democracy which initially sustains mea sure of freedom and revolution desired by people yet this same democracy spontaneously guides the behavior of the latter to threats of evolving tyranny and disorder which are altogether unfavorable to the nation.