- What is Freud’s concept of human nature? What does he mean by civilization and why does it leave us discontented?
Sigmund Freud made great contribution in the quest to understand what human nature is. His psychoanalytic theory professes that behavior is determined by very many irrational forces ranging from motivations which are both conscious or unconscious, instincts and even psychosexual actions before the lapse of the first six years of human life (Freud 15). He goes further to state that sexual desire is the driving force behind any form of energy in human life.
Freud postulates that pleasure achieved from sexual desires and acts and any other form of nature is the reasons why humans will at all cost avoid pain. Aside from this, aggressiveness also plays a crucial role in determining human behavior. His central ideologies centre on psychotherapy that leads to personality development.
In regard to civilization, Freud refers to the fact that all people contribute to the beauty of life in terms of people agreeing to a set of standards and norms that they follow. Different people therefore find it convenient to have these norms which are widely acceptable by many cultures in as much as these cultures may be differing in one way or another. The diversity held therein is wide but these people tend to agree on common values that they partake of. In as much as this may happen, the discontents come up due to the fact that not everyone will agree to these values therefore leading to problems not only to an individual but to society too. Some of these problems may include confusion and alienation.
- What exactly is meant by the terms “survival for the fittest” and “natural selection”? Do you find Darwin’s argument convincing? Does it matter what our origins are- no
Survival for the fittest is a term that has been used for a very long time now to mean that a given species of both plants and animals that have fitted to the environment very well and better than others are the ones likely to survive in that environment. These species portray a given set traits that are helpful for their survival at the time of their existence most of which are passed to the next generation. This ensures that the species survives and lives on while those that have traits that cannot withstand the environment die along the way leaving those plants and animals that can withstand climatic and even social environments.
This leads to understanding of the term natural selection. Once the species that are best suited for the environment due to their inherited traits survive, chances are that they will increase in population because they will reproduce more offspring. This will ensure that the species or organisms will lead to modification of genetic material that will enhance (Darwin 23). Natural selection will therefore ensure that modification of genetic material happen which will then lead to the evolution of species. Charles Darwin in his book, On The Origin of species propagates this ideology as the opposite of artificial breeding. His approach or rather argument is convincing owing to the fact that there are some species of plants and animals that have suffered distinction or are on the verge of distinction simply because they cannot withstand the tides of time and climate.
Owing to the theories proposed in survival for the fittest and natural selection, it therefore does matter where we come from or the origins of species. When the stronger traits that are environment friendly are passed on and modified to suit the environment, chances are that an organism will survive. If the traits featured are weak, then the organisms will disappear from the face of the earth. Our origins to a huge extent contribute to the continuity of the species
Works cited
Darwin, Charles. On The Origin of Species. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008
Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its Discontents. London: Penguin Books Limited, 2004
