Classical Psychoanly's Value To Sociology

Freud's views evolved continually throughout his long career. The collective result of his extensive writings is an elaborate system of personality development. Freud described personality in terms of an energy system that seeks an equilibrium of forces. This homeostatic model of human personality was determined by the constant attempt to identify appropriate ways to discharge instinctual energies, which originate in the depths of the unconscious. The structure of personality, according to Freud, consists of a dynamic interchange of activities energized by forces that are present in the person at birth. Freud posited three specific structures of personality—the id ,ego, and superego—which he believed were essentially formed by age 7. These structures may the diagrammatically represented in terms of their accessibility to a person's awareness or extent of consciousness, as in figure14-1. The id is the most primitive and least accessible structure of personality. As originally described by Freud, the id is pure libido, or psychic energy of an irrational nature and sexual character, which instinctually determines unconscious processes. The id is not in contact with the environment ,but rather relates to the other structures of personality that in turn must mediate between the id's instincts and the external world immune from reality and social conventions ,the id is guided by the pleasure principle, seeking to gratify instinctual libidinal needs either directly ,through a sexual experience, of indirectly,by dreaming or fantasizing. The latter, indirect gratification was called the primary process. The exact object of direct gratification in the pleasure principle is determined by the psychosexual stage of the individual's development. The division or structure of personality that is first differentiated from the id is the ego, often called the "executive"of personality because of its role in channeling id energies into socially acceptable outlets. The development of the ego occurs between the ages of 1 and 2,when the child initially confronts the environment. The ego is governed by the reality principle; it is aware of environmental demands and adjusts behavior so that the instinctual pressures of the id are statisfied in acceptable ways. The attainment of specific objects to reduce libidinal energy in socially appropriate ways was called the secondary process. The final differentiation of the structures of personality, called the superego ,appears by age 5. in contrast to the id and ego, which are internal developments of personality, the superego is an external imposition. That is ,the superego is the incorporation of moral standards perceived by the ego from some agent of authority in the environment, usually an assimilation of the parents'views. Both positive and negative aspects of these standards of behavior are represented in the superego. The positive moral code is the ego ideal, a representation of perfect behavior for the individual to emulate. The conscience embodies the negative aspect of the superego ,and determines which activities are to be taboo. Conduct that violates the dictates of the conscience produces guilt. The superego and id are in direct conflict, leaving the ego to mediate. Thus the superego imposes a pattern of conduct that results in some degree of self-control through an internalized system of rewards and punishments. The major motivational construct of Freud's theory of personality was derived from instincts ,defined as biological forces that release mental energy. The goal of personality is to reduce the energy drive through some activity acceptable to the constraints of the superego. Freud classed inborn instincts into life(eros)and death(thanators)drives. Life instincts involve self-preservation and include hunger,sex,and thirst. The libido is that specific form of energy through which the life instincts arise in the id. The libido isthat specific form of energy through which the life instincts arise in the id. The death instincts may be directed inward, as in suicide or masochism, or outward, as in hate and aggression. This overview of Freud's detailed and complicated theory reflects many of the difficulties with Freud's evolving system. He had few qualms about modifying hi views (as long as he did the changing),but often did not change the language, so that the same terminology was frequently used in several ways. Nevertheless, the sheer complexity and uniqueness of his system formed a remarkable achievement. Indeed, he often had to invent new terminology to express his thoughts, and these terms have become an accepted part of our vocabulary.