BEYOND THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE (CHAPTER V)
(DRIVE) (41-42)
Sigmund Freud (1920)
Summary:
It may be difficult for many of us to renounce the belief that there is a drive for perfection in the human being that has brought
him to his present level of spiritual performance and ethical sublimation, and that, it is to be hoped, will see to the transformation
of man into superman.
I just do not believe in an inner drive of that kind, and I do not see any way to preserve that consoling illusion. It seems to me that
the evolution of the human being up to the present time requires no other explanation than that of the animals, and the
indefatigable effort which is observed in a minority of human individuals towards greater perfection can be understood without
violence as the result of the repression of the drives.
The repressed drive never ceases to aspire to its full satisfaction, which would consist in the repetition of a primary experience of
satisfaction; All substitutive and reactive formations, and all sublimations, are insufficient to cancel its pressing tension, and the
difference between the pleasure of satisfaction found and the intended one engenders the driving factor, which does not admit of
clinging to any of the established situations, but, in the words of the poet, "spurs on, untamed, always forward."
The way backwards, towards full satisfaction, is generally obstructed by the resistances by virtue of which repressions are
maintained; And then there is nothing left but to advance in the other direction of development, which is still expeditious, in truth
with no prospect of closing the march or reaching the goal. The processes that occur in the development of a neurotic phobia,
which is certainly nothing more than an attempt to escape from an instinctive satisfaction, provide us with the model of the genesis
of this apparent "drive for improvement," which we can in no way attribute to the totality of human individuals.
To be sure, their dynamic conditions pre-exist in all of them, but economic proportions seem to favour the phenomenon only in
rare cases. Let us note in passing the possibility that Eros's eagerness to conjugate the organic in ever greater units serves as a
substitute for that "drive for perfection" which we cannot admit. Together with the effects of repression, this would help to explain
the phenomena attributed to it.
Explanation and conclusion:
In this lecture, Freud reflects on the idea of a drive for perfection inherent in the human being, suggesting that this essential driving
force has led man to reach important levels of spiritual and ethical performance, even anticipating a transformation towards a
higher state, the superman. However, the author questions this belief and argues that there is no such inner drive intrinsically.
From their perspective, human evolution can be explained without the need to postulate a driving force toward perfection beyond
the analogies observed in the animal kingdom.
It is emphasized that the aspirations for further improvement observed in certain individuals can be understood as a result of the
repression of more basic and primary drives. This repressed drive persists in their search for full satisfaction, which can be traced
back to primary experiences of pleasure. Substitutionary formations and sublimations, although attempts to channel this drive
energy in a socially acceptable way, fail to completely mitigate its urgency.
It goes on to explore how internal and external resistances hold repressions in place, hindering any return to a state of full
satisfaction. Neurotic processes, such as phobias, illustrate this conflict between the pursuit of satisfaction and the barriers that
prevent its full realization. This suggests that the idea of a universalizable drive for improvement is more of an exception than a
rule in human development.
Finally, the possibility is raised that the impulse of Eros, which seeks to integrate the organic into increasingly complex units, may
act as a functional substitute for the drive for perfection. In conjunction with the effects of repression, this phenomenon could
explain the behaviors and achievements attributed to this idealized drive. In short, it questions the existence of a universal drive
for improvement and proposes to understand human impulses towards development and improvement in terms that are more
contingent and subject to individual and social dynamic conditions.
1
Made by MatyBuda
(DRIVE) (41-42)
Sigmund Freud (1920)
Summary:
It may be difficult for many of us to renounce the belief that there is a drive for perfection in the human being that has brought
him to his present level of spiritual performance and ethical sublimation, and that, it is to be hoped, will see to the transformation
of man into superman.
I just do not believe in an inner drive of that kind, and I do not see any way to preserve that consoling illusion. It seems to me that
the evolution of the human being up to the present time requires no other explanation than that of the animals, and the
indefatigable effort which is observed in a minority of human individuals towards greater perfection can be understood without
violence as the result of the repression of the drives.
The repressed drive never ceases to aspire to its full satisfaction, which would consist in the repetition of a primary experience of
satisfaction; All substitutive and reactive formations, and all sublimations, are insufficient to cancel its pressing tension, and the
difference between the pleasure of satisfaction found and the intended one engenders the driving factor, which does not admit of
clinging to any of the established situations, but, in the words of the poet, "spurs on, untamed, always forward."
The way backwards, towards full satisfaction, is generally obstructed by the resistances by virtue of which repressions are
maintained; And then there is nothing left but to advance in the other direction of development, which is still expeditious, in truth
with no prospect of closing the march or reaching the goal. The processes that occur in the development of a neurotic phobia,
which is certainly nothing more than an attempt to escape from an instinctive satisfaction, provide us with the model of the genesis
of this apparent "drive for improvement," which we can in no way attribute to the totality of human individuals.
To be sure, their dynamic conditions pre-exist in all of them, but economic proportions seem to favour the phenomenon only in
rare cases. Let us note in passing the possibility that Eros's eagerness to conjugate the organic in ever greater units serves as a
substitute for that "drive for perfection" which we cannot admit. Together with the effects of repression, this would help to explain
the phenomena attributed to it.
Explanation and conclusion:
In this lecture, Freud reflects on the idea of a drive for perfection inherent in the human being, suggesting that this essential driving
force has led man to reach important levels of spiritual and ethical performance, even anticipating a transformation towards a
higher state, the superman. However, the author questions this belief and argues that there is no such inner drive intrinsically.
From their perspective, human evolution can be explained without the need to postulate a driving force toward perfection beyond
the analogies observed in the animal kingdom.
It is emphasized that the aspirations for further improvement observed in certain individuals can be understood as a result of the
repression of more basic and primary drives. This repressed drive persists in their search for full satisfaction, which can be traced
back to primary experiences of pleasure. Substitutionary formations and sublimations, although attempts to channel this drive
energy in a socially acceptable way, fail to completely mitigate its urgency.
It goes on to explore how internal and external resistances hold repressions in place, hindering any return to a state of full
satisfaction. Neurotic processes, such as phobias, illustrate this conflict between the pursuit of satisfaction and the barriers that
prevent its full realization. This suggests that the idea of a universalizable drive for improvement is more of an exception than a
rule in human development.
Finally, the possibility is raised that the impulse of Eros, which seeks to integrate the organic into increasingly complex units, may
act as a functional substitute for the drive for perfection. In conjunction with the effects of repression, this phenomenon could
explain the behaviors and achievements attributed to this idealized drive. In short, it questions the existence of a universal drive
for improvement and proposes to understand human impulses towards development and improvement in terms that are more
contingent and subject to individual and social dynamic conditions.
1
Made by MatyBuda
