Das Unbehagen in der Kultur (Civilization and Its Discontents)

Wien: Internationaler Psychoanalytischer Verlag,, 1930. First edition. Very Good +. FREUD, Sigmund. Das Unbehagen in der Kultur (Civilization and Its Discontents). Internationaler Psychoanalytischer Verlag, Wien, 1930. Half-title + TP + [5]-136. Octavo. First Edition. One of Freud’s most intensely studied and influential books, Civilization and Its Discontents, takes the foundational principles of psychoanalysis and applies them to man and his place in society. In this seminal book, Freud enumerates his understanding of the fundamental tensions that exist between civilization and the individual. The primary friction arises from the individual's quest for instinctual freedom and civilization's contrary demand for conformity and instinctual repression. Many of humankind's primitive instincts are clearly harmful to the well-being of a human community. As a result, civilization creates laws that prohibit killing, rape, and adultery, and it implements severe punishments if such commandments are broken. This process, argues Freud, is an inherent process of civilization that instills perpetual feelings of discontent in its citizens. This theory is based on the idea that humans have certain characteristic instincts that are immutable. Most notable are the desires for sex, and the predisposition to violent aggression towards authoritative figures and towards sexual competitors.CONDITION: An untrimmed copy in the original yellow publisher’s printed wrappers. Some separation to rear wrapper with archival tape securing upper third. Ink name to front fly leaf. Internally clean and fresh. Very good in original wrappers.

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