Freud, the Contemporary Super-ego, and Western Morality: An Essay on Psychopolitics

Giosuè Ghisalberti's book explores the relationship between the morality of the super-ego and the destructive impulse of the death drive in the liberal democracies of the 21st century. He argues that the psyche of the liberal West has regressed to an infantile and primitive present, driven by an unconscious hostility towards the Oedipus complex and Western civilization. The book re-examines Freud's psychoanalytic ideas on obsessions and turns to his grounding ideals of intelligence, creativity, and freedom as the affirmation of the coming-to-be-human in modernity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 09 October 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Freud, the Contemporary Super-ego, and Western Morality delves into the intricate origins of the interplay between the morality of the super-ego and the destructive force of the death drive in the liberal democracies of the 21st century. Giosuè Ghisalberti sets the stage by challenging the prevailing interpretations of the resurgence of religious phenomena, offering instead a comprehensive framework of ideas rooted in Freud's writings from the 1920s and an analysis of the contemporary theological-political unconscious. Ghisalberti contends that the psyche of the liberal West has regressed to an infantile and primitive state, driven by an unconscious hostility towards the Oedipus complex and, more broadly, towards Western civilization as a whole.

The book undertakes a re-examination of Freud's psychoanalytic concepts on obsessions, initially explored in Totem and Taboo through the lens of the murder of the primal father. It then turns to his grounding ideals of intelligence, creativity, and freedom as the affirmation of the coming-to-be-human in modernity. Freud, the Contemporary Super-ego, and Western Morality holds immense appeal to psychoanalysts in both practice and training. It also serves as a vital resource for academics and scholars engaged in psychoanalytic studies, philosophy, political theory, and the humanities.

In conclusion, Freud, the Contemporary Super-ego, and Western Morality offers a profound exploration of the complex dynamics between morality, the super-ego, and the death drive in contemporary Western societies. Through Ghisalberti's insightful analysis and comprehensive framework, the book provides valuable insights into the workings of the human psyche and sheds light on the challenges and opportunities facing liberal democracies in the 21st century.

Weight: 414g
Dimension: 155 x 235 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032532127