Sigmund Freud: Suppressing the Violent Tendencies of Humanity through Governance

Sigmund Freud, the early 20th century’s founder of psychoanalysis, has a far greater lasting influence than simply within the world of psychology. In Freud’s 1930 masterwork, Civilization & its Discontents, connections and conclusions are drawn between society and the individual in terms of sociopolitical interests. More specifically, the most important Freudian theory for political scientists stands as the surprisingly antagonistic dichotomy between modern, communitarian society and the very aggressive, violent nature of individualistic humanity. As a result, these tendencies must be explicitly and systematically suppressed through governance in order for society, as a collective of coalescing individuals, to avoid constant crisis, but this form of government is applicable in its ideal form only: its foundational elements include inherent flaws that preclude its ultimate success from true realization. Humanity should acquiesce to the idea of perpetually flawed governance unable to simultaneously suppress humanity’s violent tendencies and pursue courses of freedom, as governments are, themselves, comprised of endlessly fallible individuals.

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