Civilization and its Discontents (Penguin Great Ideas)
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Newly designed in a uniform format, each new paperback in the Standard Edition opens with a biographical essay on Freud's life and work along with a note on the individual volume--Peter Gay, Sterling Professor of History at Yale
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are.
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It is impossible to resist the impression that people commonly apply false standards, seeking power, success and wealth for themselves and admiring them in others, while underrating what is truly valuable in life. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
It is impossible to resist the impression that people commonly apply false standards, seeking power, success and wealth for themselves and admiring them in others, while underrating what is truly valuable in life. Read the first page
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Civilization and its Discontent was first published in 1930 and despite all the criticism of Freud over a long period of time the essay contains profound truths and is still relevant today. The essay's range is broad as it goes beyond Freud's psychoanalytic theory and delves into the process of socialization, culture, and the struggle between natural human instincts and the mechanisms in society, such as religion, work and the arts, to keep them at bay.
The main concern of Freud is how people find and maintain happiness. Freud thinks that life is so hard to bear that human beings need a palliative. Palliatives could take the form of religion, the arts or work. In order to sustain his argument about the reasons that keep us happy, Freud uses a wide array of concepts. Many of these concepts such as the Id, the Ego, the Superego, the Libido, the Pleasure Principle, and the Reality Principle are to be found elsewhere in Freud's great oeuvre but ironically it is these very concepts that make for a difficult read, in some passages, of this great little book.
Many of Freud's views has long been criticised as lacking empirical evidence, as being sexist and/or Eurocentric. Some of that criticism stands. However, on the other hand, I think some of that criticism has been over stated. For example, take the issue of Eurocentricism, what Freud stated all those years ago I now see many non European people striving to achieve in the search for happiness - for example, the palliative of materialism.
I began by stating that the book is still relevant today so let me conclude by giving two examples as to why it is relevant. Some 80 years on from publication human beings are still faced with a lot of aggression and wars. Freud stated that: "The reality behind all this, which many would deny, is that human beings are not gentle creatures in need of love, at most able to defend themselves if attacked; on the contrary, they can count a powerful share of aggression among their instinctual endowments." The second example, this time to do with sexuality, is one in which as a society, almost universally, we are still uptight about sex so Freud's statement that: "Present-day civilization makes it clear that it will permit sexual relations only on the basis of a unique and indissoluble bond between a man and a woman, that it disapproves of sexuality as a source of pleasure in its own right and will tolerate it only as the device - for which a substitute has still to be found - for the increase of mankind" has a ring of truth about it today.
Civilization and its Discontents is still a great read with some relevant and profound truths.
The main concern of Freud is how people find and maintain happiness. Freud thinks that life is so hard to bear that human beings need a palliative. Palliatives could take the form of religion, the arts or work. In order to sustain his argument about the reasons that keep us happy, Freud uses a wide array of concepts. Many of these concepts such as the Id, the Ego, the Superego, the Libido, the Pleasure Principle, and the Reality Principle are to be found elsewhere in Freud's great oeuvre but ironically it is these very concepts that make for a difficult read, in some passages, of this great little book.
Many of Freud's views has long been criticised as lacking empirical evidence, as being sexist and/or Eurocentric. Some of that criticism stands. However, on the other hand, I think some of that criticism has been over stated. For example, take the issue of Eurocentricism, what Freud stated all those years ago I now see many non European people striving to achieve in the search for happiness - for example, the palliative of materialism.
I began by stating that the book is still relevant today so let me conclude by giving two examples as to why it is relevant. Some 80 years on from publication human beings are still faced with a lot of aggression and wars. Freud stated that: "The reality behind all this, which many would deny, is that human beings are not gentle creatures in need of love, at most able to defend themselves if attacked; on the contrary, they can count a powerful share of aggression among their instinctual endowments." The second example, this time to do with sexuality, is one in which as a society, almost universally, we are still uptight about sex so Freud's statement that: "Present-day civilization makes it clear that it will permit sexual relations only on the basis of a unique and indissoluble bond between a man and a woman, that it disapproves of sexuality as a source of pleasure in its own right and will tolerate it only as the device - for which a substitute has still to be found - for the increase of mankind" has a ring of truth about it today.
Civilization and its Discontents is still a great read with some relevant and profound truths.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
What an amazing book!
My inability to understand a lot of the words in it slowed down my reading (but I felt really clever once I found out their meanings so I didn't mind!!) so if you're like me, you have to have a bit of patience for it.
The opening sentence sets the tone for the whole book. I found it very powerful and it drew me in right away.
I would recommend this book to anybody who's interested in Freud.
My inability to understand a lot of the words in it slowed down my reading (but I felt really clever once I found out their meanings so I didn't mind!!) so if you're like me, you have to have a bit of patience for it.
The opening sentence sets the tone for the whole book. I found it very powerful and it drew me in right away.
I would recommend this book to anybody who's interested in Freud.
18 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book features two papers written in different times. The first one is from the 1930’s, and is a very mature analysis of the ways civilisations and individuals go in order to achieve happiness as it is. The second one, written in the 1900’s, is about ‘civilised’ sexuality and mental illnesses, and allows us to see how a whole new science emerged.
I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in psychiatry and psychoanalysis, and especially in Freud. I read other works by this author, and I think this one keeps up with the overall quality of the others.
I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in psychiatry and psychoanalysis, and especially in Freud. I read other works by this author, and I think this one keeps up with the overall quality of the others.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Original ideas, but lacking evidence and depth
This review regards the Pober Publishing Company-version of the book.
The technical aspects of the book design:
+ The book cover is good-looking. Read more
The technical aspects of the book design:
+ The book cover is good-looking. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Adam Tzur
Sigmund Freud, Civilization & it's Discontents
great product, thank you th ework it's self I stuggle to get to grips with in parts, I need more reading!
Published 15 months ago by steve oasis
eminently readable, but limited freudian theory
great book, great writing, suitable length, clear prose, limited theory. drives and power craze is not all there is to life
Published 21 months ago by asp
Freud as a philosopher ...
With his culture theoretical documents Freud had essentially share at the development of the philosophical self-determination of mankind. Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2005 by FrizzText
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