Civilization and Its Discontents

Booknews

A study of one of Freud's most widely read but least discussed works, exploring connections between his philosophical views on the human condition and the substance and development of his theory. Separate chapters on the two pillars of psychoanalytic theory, the instincts and the unconscious, demonstrate that while Freud's basic ideas may be stranger than we think, they are also more important than we realize in terms of the complexity of psychological life. Subsequent chapters offer discussion of Freud's views on ethics, religious faith, femininity, and anthropology. Includes a chronology. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.