Freud Flashcards
(10 cards)
Define the unconscious according to Freud.
The unconscious is the foundational layer of the mind, prior to conciousness.
It consists of mental processes that are not accessible to conscious awareness but significantly influence thoughts, behaviours, and emotions.
Freud considered unconscious processes to be primary, older, and governed by the pleasure principle.
Explain the mechanism of repression.
Repression is the mind’s passive and partial defence mechanism against internal conflict or trauma. It involves pushing incompatible or distressing thoughts and desires out of conscious awareness.
However, repression is never complete; the repressed content continues to exert influence, often re-emerging as symptoms.
Describe the role of trauma in Freud’s theory.
Trauma arises from a conflict between incompatible drives or desires that cannot be reconciled.
This unresolved tension generates psychic energy. When repressed, this energy does not disappear but instead manifests as symptoms—physical or psychological expressions of the unresolved conflict.
What is the function of symptoms in Freud’s model of the psyche?
Symptoms are the return of the repressed. They are indirect expressions of unresolved internal conflicts and serve as a compromise between the repressed content and the mind’s attempt to maintain stability.
Symptoms carry meaning and can be interpreted to uncover the underlying trauma.
Discuss the concept of resistance in psychoanalysis.
Resistance refers to the mind’s defence against uncovering repressed material during therapy.
It manifests as avoidance, denial, or emotional discomfort when approaching traumatic memories.
Resistance is a central challenge in psychoanalysis because it protects the psyche from distress but also hinders therapeutic progress.
Compare and contrast the pleasure principle and the reality principle.
The pleasure principle seeks immediate gratification and avoidance of unpleasure. It governs the unconscious and is dominant in early development.
The reality principle emerges when the pleasure principle fails to satisfy needs. It delays gratification, acknowledges external reality, and enables rational thought and long-term planning.
The two principles are in constant tension, with the reality principle partially subordinating the pleasure principle to ensure survival and social functioning.
What is meant by Freud’s claim that the unconscious is ‘prior’?
Freud argues that the unconscious precedes consciousness both evolutionarily and developmentally. It is the original mode of mental functioning, and consciousness emerges from it.
This challenges the traditional view that consciousness is the seat of reason and control.
How does Freud conceptualise fantasy and its relation to the pleasure principle?
Fantasy is a mental space where the pleasure principle remains dominant. It allows for hallucinatory fulfilment of desires that cannot be satisfied in reality.
Fantasy bypasses the constraints of the reality principle and is a site where repressed content can resurface, making it a “weak spot” in the psyche.
It serves as a ‘weak spot’ in the psyche where repressed content can resurface.
In what way is sexuality treated as a special case in Freud’s theory?
Sexuality is not fully governed by the reality principle. The sexual instinct remains partly under the influence of the pleasure principle, often seeking satisfaction through fantasy, dreams, or auto-eroticism. This makes sexuality a persistent source of tension and conflict within the psyche.
This makes sexuality a persistent source of conflict.
What does Freud mean by the ‘partial victory’ of the reality principle?
The reality principle never fully overcomes the pleasure principle. While it structures much of conscious life and civilisation, the pleasure principle continues to operate, especially in fantasy and sexuality. Even rational pursuits like science and religion are ultimately in service of deferred or transformed pleasure.
Even rational pursuits are ultimately in service of deferred pleasure.
