Freud\'s Death Instinct. The Writer

¶ … Freud's "Death Instinct." The writer examines Freud's theory, summarizes it, critiques it and then presents the argument that the death instinct theory makes sense. There were four sources used complete this paper.

While the field of mental health is still in its relative infancy there are many theories within the field that are still debated around the world. Sigmund Freud, often referred to as the "Father of Psychology" developed many theories that have been argued for and against for more than 100 years. While he is well-known for his obsession with sexual connotations in almost every aspect of analysis there are other theories that he developed and proposed that are less famoust but equally interesting. The theory of the death instinct is one in which Freud redeemed himself in many areas of the mental health field. It is a theory that creates an explanation for the risk seeking behaviors that many people take part in. It explores and explains why people who have been through horrific experiences tend to continue seeking out danger even after they become safe. While the death instinct initially sounds like something that is far fetched and could not possibly be true, a closer examination of what he actually believed provides credibility to Freud's thinking.

WHAT it IS Before one can begin to analyze or critique the Death Instinct one needs to have a general idea about what it is and what its basic principles entail.

Freud is well-known for his beliefs about the conscious and unconscious mind. He worked hard to overcome skepticism in his career regarding the ego theories and the theories about things being related to sex.

According to Freud, the unconscious is the source of our motivations, whether they be simple desires for food or sex, neurotic compulsions, or the motives of an artist or scientist. And yet, we are often driven to deny or resist becoming conscious of these motives, and they are often available to us only in disguised form (Theory (http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/freud.html)."

When it comes to the death instinct the unconscious is once again involved according to the inventor (Strachey, 2002).

To understand the death instinct however one should have a grasp on his ego theories. According to Freud there are three different egos. They are the id the ego and the superego.

The id is involved with the nervous system and the things a person does not control, including hunger, thirst and the avoidance of pain (Strachey, 2002). Freud calls the id the part of the ego that deals with wishes, or in other words the basic needs of survival.

The ego, unlike the id, functions according to the reality principle, which says "take care of a need as soon as an appropriate object is found." It represents reality and, to a considerable extent, reason (Theory (http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/freud.html)."

At about seven years of age, according to Freud, the supergo develops. The superego internalizes punishments and rewards.

Following the development of these theories Freud went on to explore the personality at an even deeper level and determined that there is a life instinct. According to Freud the life instinct is the basic instinct he believes people have to enjoy life and to want to garner simple pleasures out of life.

In direct opposition to the life instinct he also developed something called the death instinct. Freud's death instinct was developed following observations that Freud made while watching soldiers who had returned from war (Strachey, 2002).

Freud concluded that the soldiers who had experienced horrifying acts of hatred and violence while at war had a subconscious to die and be at peace. According to Freud it was what made them continue risk taking behaviors once they were out of danger and at home (Strachey, 2002).

Later in his life, Freud began to believe that the life instincts didn't tell the whole story. Libido is a lively thing; the pleasure principle keeps us in perpetual motion. And yet the goal of all this motion is to be still, to be satisfied, to be at peace, to have no more needs. The goal of life, you might say, is death! Freud began to believe that "under" and "beside" the life instincts there was a death instinct. He began to believe that every person has an unconscious wish to die (Theory (http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/freud.html)."

This idea was rejected at the time by many of the students who followed his teachings. They could not grasp that someone would have a desire to die and would move their life in small steps that could be perceived as a subtle death wish, however, if one closely examines the theory and applies it to scenarios of modern life one can see that the theory seems to have some merit.

Freud's basis for the theory was that it is almost a primal instinct to wish to die. Before birth one is in the womb, safe, sound, warm and it is peaceful (Strachey, 2002). There are no worries or cares and they do not have to make decisions, hurt or be hurt. They can just exist. On an unconscious level, according to the theory, people want to go back to that time and the one thing that will offer that type of peace is death.

HOLDING it AGAINST LIFE

At first blush one might easily discount the theory of the death instinct but when one takes a closer look and applies it to many situations in current society it begins to make more sense.

The death instinct held against many of societal problems begins to look feasible and possible.

Drug addiction is one prime example where the death instinct can be compared to the wishes of the addict.

People who take drugs do so knowing that every single time they do so they are risking death. Almost daily somewhere in the nation a news show or newspaper article can be found that talks about someone dying from an accidental overdose or mixing the wrong drugs together. Currently there is a nationwide focus on the recent death of Anna Nicole Smith's son and it is now known he died from taking a mix of Lexapro and methadone.

Many drug users are depressed. They have lost loved ones, come from dysfunctional families or feel that they have nothing to reach for in their life. They take drugs to numb the pain or sadness that they feel, however they do so knowing that they may die at anytime while ingesting illegal drugs.

This could be the death wish that Freud developed. It is possible that the people who drink or take drugs have been in pain more than pleasure in their own lives and it is a subconscious desire to return to the peace they knew before life. Dying is the one thing that promises to stop all life pain. It may be seen as a way to return to the pre-birth stage where there were no expectations, and no decisions to be made.

The same can be seen in people who take risks in their life over and over again. Someone who is constantly speeding in their vehicle, or someone who insists on climbing mountains without using recommended safety gear may also be leaning into the theory Freud called the Death Instinct.

Using the example of drug addicts or people who take risky behavior on is simplistic but it does promote the idea that Freud's death instinct has some validity to its premise. He came upon the theory when he observed the behaviors of soldiers who had returned home from war and continued to take part in high risk behaviors.

According to Freud it was not just people who took part in high-risk behavior but also applied to people who turned away from things that would give them pleasure. Freud believed that people who turned away from pleasurable things and activities may be harboring a subconscious desire to die and have the peace and serenity that death will provide.