Limitations of Freud’s Psychobiology

Limitations of Freud’s Psychobiology is a critical study of Freud’s psychobiology which attempts to explain the functioning of the human mind. The author discusses in detail Freud’s theory of instincts covering the concepts of imperative and sexual instincts, sadism and masochism. After dealing with Freud’s topographical concept of the human mind in terms of unconscious, conscious and pre-conscious substratums and censorship phenomenon, the author discusses Freud’s pleasure, constancy, reality, and economy principles. Next, the three well-known Freud’s entities of id, ego and super-ego which form the structure of human personality have been analysed inter-action with pleasure principle, reality principle and internalised parental and cultural values. The author analyses and compares Freud’s psycho analytical theory with those of cultural pattern and object-relation theories expounded by great thinkers like Karen Horney, Erich Fromm, H.S. Sullivan, Melanie Klein and Fairbairn. This analysis besides covering the psychodynamics, and psychological theory of personality, gives the reason for psychopathological abnormalities like masochism, sadism, obsession, repetition compulsion, psychoneurosis, depression, persecution or paranoid anxiety, hysteria, schizoid detachment, psychic loss, psychosis etc. After critically evaluating the dynamic and structural principles of psychology, the author pints out certain limitations of Freud’s psychobiology and concludes with certain valuable suggestions including new dimensions of human motivation. This book will prove to be of great value not only to the students of psychology but also to all those who are interested in knowing as to why do they think and act the way they do. This book will help the reader to analyse his psychodynamics and personality make up.