Psychology is a science that studies the human psyche. Researchers who study psychology make more and more new discoveries every year regarding the study of the human brain and the complex mental processes that occur in it. Consider one of the most famous theories in psychology, which is called Freudianism.
Definition of Freudianism
The term comes from the name of the famous scientist Sigmund Freud, who proposed his theory of human psychoanalysis. Freudism is a theory of psychoanalysis that explains some of the mental processes that occur on an unconscious level. According to Freud, the whole mental life of a person consists of three main levels: unconscious, preconscious and conscious.
Freud connects the unconscious level with sexual energy. Freud in his theory identifies such components of personality:
- "Eid" is the bearer of instincts.
- "Ego", or in another "I", which acts on the principle of reality.
- The “Super-Ego,” or “Super-Self,” is responsible for the moral qualities of the individual.
If a conflict arises between these components, then protective mechanisms begin to appear .
The role of Freudianism in psychology
Freudianism in psychology occupies a very important stage, because it is thanks to Freud’s teachings that we can talk about the treatment of neurosis and prolonged depression, but for this it is necessary first of all to identify the cause of these diseases. The main point for starting treatment is primarily psychoanalysis. The experiments using hypnosis conducted by Freud proved that different feelings and a desire to achieve a goal can change the behavior of the researched, even if he himself will not be fully aware of this.
The foundation of Freudianism
Sigmund Freud, on the basis of his long clinical observations, was able to form a new, until then unknown psychological concept. Freudianism is also a theory that relies on the concept of the triune structure of personality :
- "It" in this case refers to mental processes that occur on an unconscious level. This means that these mental processes were laid before the birth of a child, for example, heredity plays a role. "It" is aimed at enjoying any kind of character, primarily sexual.
- The second structure is called "I". It is aimed at preserving balance, therefore the “I” is almost constantly in conflict with the “It”. For each person, his “I” lives in reality, that is, mental processes begin to appear after a certain situation develops that requires an immediate solution. Freud attributes this structure to congenital, it is formed not only on an unconscious level, but also in the preconscious.
3. The third structure is called “Superself.” It is considered acquired throughout life and plays the role of critic and conscience. Therefore, if the “I” cannot cope with the “It”, then the “Super-I” comes into effect, which acts according to conscience. If a person cannot find a way out of his “Super-Self” for a long time, Freud advises to give a way out of this energy through conversation or even prove himself in creativity.
What is the essence of Freudianism?
The doctor can direct the person’s energy by conducting a psychoanalysis. Freudianism indicates that in some cases a person can cope with his problem on his own, but for this the psyche must include protection, if this did not happen, then without the help of a specialist it will not work. Here are the main types of protection:
- Initially, protection is manifested in the suppression and suppression of thoughts that are considered unlawful.
- When a projection occurs, then at an unconscious level, the human psyche tries to get rid of obsessive desires and ideas.
- Rationalization is manifested when there is no possibility to abandon the idea, and then a person tries to justify himself.
The main directions in Freudianism
Freud identifies three main motives - this is anxiety, aggression and sensuality. It is them that Freudianism considers the basis of all human actions. The direction distinguishes into five main phases of personality development:
1. The oral phase, which manifests itself even at the time of the birth of the baby, for example, the baby, being born, immediately seeks to suck the mother’s breast.
2. The anal phase is the praise of the child, who alone can already go to the potty.
3. The phallic manifests itself in a more mature age, when the child begins to communicate with his peers of different sexes and is able to compare himself and others.
4. Latent appears at a time when interest in sexual characteristics is somewhat dying.
5. Genital comes when puberty occurs.
The tasks of psychoanalysis in Freudianism
If we describe Freudianism briefly, then the main objectives of this teaching and conducting psychoanalysis for the treatment of mental disorders can be considered:
- Recreating from all the data collected as an anamnesis, symptoms that are pathological for a person.
- The ability to reconstruct an event that caused injury, release suppressed energy and give this energy the opportunity to choose a new direction.
Psychoanalysis is carried out so that in the future a person can not turn his excessive suffering into a neurosis. Thus, according to Freud, it is also possible to suppress human conflict.
Representatives of Freudianism
Freudianism is a theory that has been developed in the future. Representatives of this theory later became students of Freud himself. A. Adler redid the theory of his teacher somewhat, pointing out that the main thing in psychoanalysis is not the drives occurring on an unconscious level, but the aspiration of each person to assert itself in society. According to Adler, all the processes described by Freud can occur only after the child feels his inferiority compared to adults.
Another bright representative of Freud’s teachings is considered to be G. Jung, who not only supported the theory of his teacher, but also actively began to develop it, arguing that psychoanalysis can not only affect one person, but also affects the behavior of the whole collective. The ideas of Freudianism were actively supported by Otto Rank, who found the main factors of fear and anxiety. In his opinion, they are still hiding in the birth of a person, his theory is called "trauma of birth."
The emergence of neo-Freudianism
Of course, Freud's theory remained in all cases a key phenomenon, so we can say that Freudianism is the foundation that was laid in neo-Freudianism. Freud's psychoanalysis was based solely on the three levels that are in the psyche of every person, but neo-Freudian representatives argued that the leading role still remains with the socio-cultural impact. It is the influence of society that can cause an internal conflict in a person. For example, a feeling such as anxiety can arise in a child only after he encounters a hostile world.
Despite the fact that the two theories, Freudianism and neo-Freudianism, have quite a lot of differences, the same unconscious processes were taken as the basis. Hatred and anxiety cause a person discomfort, so there is a struggle within the person himself, and this is the reason for the conflict within himself, which requires immediate elimination, otherwise mental illness may occur.
Neo-Freudian representatives
There were much more representatives of neo-Freudianism than Freudianism itself. The most striking can be called several scientists. So, G. Sullivan, argues that a person’s personality is not an inborn phenomenon, but an acquired one, and it is formed exclusively with the help of the society that surrounds it. That is, the baby begins to repeat the interpersonal relationships that he has as a model. The personality of the child in childhood can be formed even during the game, when the baby communicates with peers.
E. Fromm in his works indicates that man is a combination of biological and social principles. In his opinion, the whole psychology of man is based on the love of life and the desire for death.
Psychoanalysis shows that a person may be prone to neurosis if he could not find love and understanding in society. It is important for each individual to achieve complete harmony in society, which he strives for throughout his life. According to many scholars, if an individual can be healed, then there is the likelihood that a complete healing of society can occur.
It is worth noting that all the ideas of Freudians and neo-Freudians were able to influence public life and the development of culture and ethics. As for society itself, it is on the path to improvement.