Freud: on Society and Culture
Psychology · 3 hrs Lecture
Offered: Fall Or Winter, Odd Year
Hard to catch. Runs in odd-numbered years only, next in 2027. Miss it and the following chance is 2029.
PSYC-4355 prerequisites
8 courses appear in this chain, up to 3 levels deep. 1 is needed whichever route you take: PSYC-2102
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Description
This course, the complement to PSYC-4350(3), is the second half of a survey of Sigmund Freud's work as it appears in The Standard Edition. The concern here is with the social theories Freud developed during the second half of his career. The major writings covered will be Totem and Taboo, The Future of an Illusion, Civilization and Its Discontents, Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego, Moses and Monotheism, and the case study of the Wolf Man. A principle theme of these works is the proposition that civilization relies, somewhat precariously, on a renunciation of instinct. While stressing the large titles listed above, the course follows the idea of instinctual ambivalence through various of Freud's shorter writings on sexuality (e.g., "Civilized sexual morality and modern nervous illness") and on literature and art (e.g., "Dostoevsky and parricide").
Requisite courses
PSYC-2102 [prerequisite(s)].
Restrictions
Honours Form Required.
From the 2026-27 undergraduate calendar. Always verify details on WebAdvisor or with an academic advisor before registering.