Expansions on Freud

1
Expansions on Freud

• PsychoDarwinism
• Jacques Lacan

2
Freud and Lemark

• Lemark and The Inheritance of Aquired
  Characteristics
• A lizard tries to stretch
• its tongue so often that the
• tongue becomes longer and
• this trait is passed to its children
• Freud also belied in IoAC, in terms of instincts
  which could be passed on from previous
  generations.

3
Links between Freud Darwin

• Freud highly influenced by "The Expressions of
  Emotions in man and animals"
• Freud recognised "archaic hertiage", unconscious
  drives that were inherited from our ancestors.
• Freud also recognised that that man might be seen
  as a "vehicle for his germplasm.... receiving
  pleasure as his reward" .  
• Freud saw our sexual drive as the force behind
  the ID.

• Darwin wrote the The Expressions of Emotions in
  man and animals"
• Darwin recognised instinctual drives that are
  inherited from our parents.
• Darwinian theory sees evolution as a process
  where success is rewarded by the ability to pass
  on your genes.
• Darwin saw the need to reproduce as the most
  significant drive in an organisms life.

4
PsychoDarwinism The Unconscious

• The unconscious developed as a place to hide
  those traits which were undesirable to society
• undesirability threat our reproductive chances.
  
• Other things might be hidden in the unconscious
  as a way of preventing us from tampering with
  them,  

5
PsychoDarwinism the ID, EGO and SUPEREGO

• The ID, EGO and SUPEREGO could all be
  re-interpreted in adaptive terms.
• ID - the basic biological drive to reproduce
• SUPEREGO - a monitor of those of societies rules
  that are relevant to attracting a mate.
• EGO - an executive to balance the adaptive
  priorities of the ID's drive demands and the
  SUPEREGOs rules.

6
Narcissism as an adaptive quality

• Freud said that
• The libido might become focused on the ego to
  produce self-love or narcissism.
• This is more likely prior to sexual maturity and
  drops off dramatically afterwards.
• Is this adaptive?
• Narcissim is negatively correlated with
  risk-taking or self-sacrificing behaviour.
• People rate Narcissism as an unattractive quality
  in a mate.

7
Further Study

• Badcock, C. (1995) PsychoDarwinism The new
  synthesis of Darwin and Freud. Harper Colins.
• http//www.thegreatdebate.org.uk/index.html
• Website relating to a series of public debates
  and seminars on subjects such as the human
  nature, the mind and the role of evolution.
  Badcock is one of the contributers

8
Lacanian Psychoanalysis

• Jaques Lacan 1901 1981
•  
• Reinterpret Freud in light of structuraist and
  post-structuralist philosophies.
•  
• Moves away from biological and emphasises
  cultural and linguistic forces.
• Biology is interpreted and interacts with the
  world around it through language and discourse.

9
Lacanian Unconscious

• Lacan believed we use language to express our
  desires, but that language can never quite
  express our desires.
• He also believed that we do not completely
  control the language that we speak and as a
  result we are somewhat at it's mercy.
• The unconscious
• arises as a function of the language we use.
• exists between people, not within the individual.
  
• Is structured, a coherent self, not a place of
  dark regressive tendencies.

10
Lacan and the Ego

• Between 6 and 18 months go through the mirror
  stage.
• They see themselves in a mirror and achieve
  identification by recognising that the person in
  the mirror is them.
• But the identification is a false one as the
  image in the mirror is not us (it conceals our
  flaws, e.g. we are weak and uncoordinated at that
  age).

11
Lacan and the Ego

• This identification forms the basis of our
  identity it is the birth point of the ego
• So whats wrong with that?
• It is based on a false identification
• Thus the ego alienates use from our true selves.
• This illusion doesn't match reality it needs
  constant propping up (ego defences)
• As such the role of analysis should not be the
  reinforcing of these defences but tearing them
  down.

12
Further Study

• Sarup, M. (1992) Jaques Lacan. Harvester
  Wheatsheaf.
•  
• www.lacan.com American Lacanian Supporters
•  
• www.lacan.org