Civilization and It’s Discontents- Sigmund Freud In Chapter 29, Freud talks about an individual’s natural instincts such as aggression and how it plays into civilization. He first proposes the question “What does civilization employ in order to inhibit the aggressiveness which opposes it, to make it harmless, to get rid of it, perhaps?” In order to answer this he lures us into looking further into the development of the individual. According to Freud, aggressiveness is internalized. It is something that is inside each and every one of us. In each person there is a conscience that is formed by tension between the ego and super ego that forms a sense of guilt. Civilization then can control the individual’s desire for aggression. Freud discusses guilt in depth. A person feels guilty when they have done something bad or has an intention to do something bad. For example, a person can feel guilty if they have cheated on their spouse or are thinking about doing so. A person will feel guilty because they know what they are doing is bad, but is desirable and enjoyable. What stops a person from doing something harmful is the fear of loss of love. If a person does something bad they can lose the love of another person and may be exposed to danger (example: punishment, incarceration). That fear of loss and punishment deters a person from actually doing something bad. Freud also notes that there are people who will do bad things so long as they get caught. People commit tax evasion even though they know it’s wrong, but it is the excitement of getting away with it and the reward of money that can cause them to do bad things. We then can conclude that guilt arises from fear of authority and fear of the super-ego. The process of human civilization and the developmental process of
