Comparing Freud's Civilization And Its Discontent

Throughout modern history humanity has consistently worn blinders; ignoring the total potential of freedom. In Civilization and Its Discontent, Sigmund Freud proposes the idea that an individual’s freedom is inhibited by his or her own guilt. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels argue that the very structure of society represses the freedom of the entire working class in their book, The Communist Manifesto. Both viewpoints show how man’s freedom is much more restricted than one would think. That being said, freedom itself is not an illusion. Although limitations on both social and individual freedom currently exist, humanity could always take its blinders off and experience true freedom. Guilt is as powerful as a motivator as any, but where does it originate? Freud says, “We know of two origins of the sense of guilt: one arising from fear of an authority and the other later on arising from fear of the superego.” (Freud 119). These fears coerce people into certain decisions. Most would not acknowledge guilt as coercion per se, however the very definition of coerce is …show more content…
Because people are naturally afraid of authority, they are less likely to break the law. Although not all laws are just, the majority of them are in place to protect and advance society. If everybody broke the law, there would be no reason to have laws and the world would be in utter chaos. Most people understand this and that is why they follow the law, especially the laws they feel actually promote civilization. Of course, not everybody follows the law which is why prisons, police departments, and the courts exist. The fact that millions of people in the United States alone are in correctional facilities shows that guilt does not completely take away an individual’s freedom to break the law. Each individual can throw away his or her blinders in favor of full individual independence, but will have to face the