Totem and Taboo Resemblances Between the Psychic Lives of Savages and Neurotics

"Totem and Taboo" by Sigmund Freud is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. The book explores the connections between the psychological lives of primitive societies and the neuroses found in modern individuals, primarily focusing on concepts of totemism and taboo as they relate to sexuality and social organization. Freud's analysis aims to uncover the origins of these cultural phenomena and their implications for understanding human psychology. The opening of "Totem and Taboo" introduces the author's preface and sets the stage for discussing the psychic lives of primitive races, particularly the Australian aborigines, as a means of understanding contemporary neuroses. Freud articulates the foundational themes of his essays, addressing the concept of taboo, especially its connection to incest dread within these societies. He highlights the intricate social structures surrounding totemism that define sexual relationships and communal obligations, while also indicating how these studies may shed light on the unconscious motivations driving human behavior through time. Freud emphasizes that the psychological elements observed in these primitive cultures mirror struggles present in neurotic individuals, thus framing the study of totemism and taboo as a bridge between ethnology and psychoanalysis. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies seen as originating from conflicts in the psyche, through dialogue between patient and psychoanalyst, and the distinctive theory of mind and human agency derived from it.