FREE ESSAY ON FREUD - FATHER OF PSYCHOLOGY

FREUD - FATHER OF PSYCHOLOGY

Known as the father of psychology, Freud developed many of the first theories of modern
physiology. His ideas and concepts will continue to be studied through the years. He put
forth many new concepts about sexuality, consciousness, unconsciousness and instincts. He
spent his whole life devoted to discovering the secrets of the human nature. Personally I
think this guy was weird.
Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiburg. The town of Freiburg later became
Pribor and was eventually absorbed into the modern state of Czechoslovakia. Freud's
father, name Jakob Freud was a Jewish wool merchant. Freud's mother Amalie Nathanson was
from Galicia. She was Jakob's second wife. Sigmund had eight brothers and sisters in all.
Two of which were from Jakob's first marriage. The other six were from Amelia. His first
influences to science were when he heard lectures on Goethe. In 1873 he applied to the
Faculty of Medicine of the University of Vienna, here was where he changed his name from
Sigismund to Sigmund. He earned is doctorate in medicine and worked as a research
assistant under Ernst Von Brucke, as a neurologist. In 1882, Freud became interested in
the effects and benefits of cocaine. He spent long hours recording the effects they had
on his body. These studies hurt his status as a scientist because other scientists
already documented the harmful effects cocaine has on the body. In 1886 Freud started his
first office of neurology in Vienna. That same year he married Martha Bernays. This
marriage produced six children named Mathilde, Martin, Oliver, Ernst, Sophia and Anna.
Also around that time in 1885 he produced his studies on hysteria. In 1900 Freud
published his first book called the "Interpretation of Dreams", which made him famous.
The next year he published "Psycho Pathology of Everyday Life". Also in 1901 he became an
associate professor of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Vienna, where he
gained his doctorate. Later he founded the International Association of Psychoanalysis in
1910. In 1920 he was hired as a full professor of the University of Vienna where he
gained vast experience with patients, sometimes spending up to twelve hours with single
patients. Also in 1920 he published "Beyond the Pleasure Principle". In 1923 Freud became
ill with cancer. To deal with the pain Freud developed an intense and uncontrollable
cocaine habit. In 1939 Freud died of cancer in London at age 83. His daughter Anna later
became a pioneer creating child psychoanalysis and founding the Hampstead Child Therapy
Clinic.
Freud developed theories about the parts of the conscious and unconscious which developed
during the first eight years of life. He separated it into three parts: the id, ego and
super ego. The id possesses the instincts that we gain at conception. The id is the most
important part of the three components. The id provides the basic necessities, such as
the will to survive, obtain food and seek shelter. The ego drives the voluntary behavior
of the human body. It is the link between the id and the outside world. It is gives one
as the ability to choose. The ego's main job is the awareness of stimuli. The id and the
ego control the demands of instincts and they have many important defenses against
anxiety. Displacement directs energy onto another object, e.g. blaming others.
Rationalization, sublimation, and regression are among the other defense mechanisms of
the id and ego. The third and last aspect of the mind is the super ego, also known as the
conscience. It basically maintains the information learned from the parents' admonitions
through the early years of life. It represents lessons and experiences a human goes
through during his/her lifetime. Freud developed a theory that each of the three basic
mental parts keeps each other in check. Like the checks and balances system our
government uses. So that each has a specific power over the other but all are equal.
Freud tried to narrow down all the needs the mind wants to only the basic necessities or
libido. 
Freud sought to break down childhood into four basic periods of conflict. Anxiety occurs
if the needs of the child are not met. The first stage would be the oral stage, which is
from birth to the age one. So named because of the fact that the newborn gains all
stimuli and nourishment by the mouth through breast-feeding. The second stage is the anal
stage. It is after the oral stage until the third year of the newborn's life. Named thus
because of the conflict of learning to be toilet trained. The phallic or third stage
finds the child facing the Oedipus complex. Oedipus was a mythological man in Greek
history. He was born not knowing who is mother was and later in life he fell in love with
his mother and she convinced him to kill his father. He then cut out his eyes in
self-denial. Freud suggests that everyone has the urge to sleep with their mother and
kill their father (a bit odd). In the phallic stage the female learns about the absence
of a penis (the first signs of penis envy). Thus considering herself inferior and spends
the rest of her life feeling inferior. The conflict during the phallic stage involves
masturbation and narcissism. The last and most mature stage is the genital period. Here
the child learns about the opposite sex and pleasure comes not from self-gratification
but understanding the needs of another. 
Freud has developed many theories about human nature. Other famous scientists in this
area include Alfred Adler and Carl Jung. Freud came up with theory of psychoanalysis by
using himself as a subject. He spent his entire life studying human nature and childhood.
His ideas, concepts and theories shall be continued on through the years. I believe his
ideas are only considered important as reflect the lives of individuals with whom Freud
worked, i.e. psychiatric patients. They appear radical when we attempt to apply them in
their entirety to healthy individuals.