Civilization and Its Discontents is a critical work by Sigmund Freud on the evolution of man into

societies. Freud begins his treatise by describing the actions of the ego. Following suite, he expounds on
the sources of suffering that humans experience throughout life. Continuing, Freud explores some of the
things that promote happiness to the individual and to civilizations. Thereafter, he introduces the
paradox between sexual desire and civilization. Next, he introduces the relationship between Eros and
death. Furthermore, he explains how the super-ego becomes a dominating factor in the development of
morality. Finally, Freud relates guilt and remorse to the development of religion and culture, which
eventually necessitates ethics.
In the first chapter, Freud says, One comes to learn a procedure by which, through a deliberate
direction of ones sensory activities and through suitable muscular action, one can differentiate between
what is internalwhat belongs to the egoand what is externalwhat emanates from the outer
world.
1
He explains how one has to constantly choose between what produces pleasure and
dissatisfaction. This becomes the first step to the reality principle, whereby one comes to defend oneself
from sensations of discontent and suffering. As a result, the ego separates itself from the external world.
Consequently, Freud then explains how a child needs its fathers protection. Therein rests the origin of
religious attitude, which Freud calls, limitless narcissism and infantile helplessness.
In the next chapter, Freud gives three sources of suffering, namely: the body, the external
world, and other people. The body becomes a source of suffering through infirmity. Mark Poster
presents an interesting analysis on the issue of symptoms in relationship to the real and imaginary.
2

Freud called this illness neuroses and expressed that during his day, they had yet to understand how
that functioned. Here, one could suggest that whatever is accepted as reality on the conscious level
eventually becomes embedded in the unconscious, thereby becoming reality for that individual. This

1
Civilization and its discontents pg 28
2
Simulacra and Simulation pg 168
can help understand how one becomes convicted of sin and the notion of purity and impurity.
Freud concluded that the suffering produced by other men is the most painful to us than any other. As
of a result of this suffering, individuals seclude themselves and find ways to tame the ego through
Yoga, worldly wisdom of the East,
3
or procure happiness through the mass-delusions of religions of
mankind.
4

Freud has a problem with religion in that he believes that it imposes equally on everyone its
own path to the acquisition of happiness and protection from suffering. Furthermore, he states, Its
technique consists in depressing the value of life and distorting the picture of the real world in a
delusional mannerwhich presupposes an intimidation of the intelligence. At this price, by forcibly
fixing them in a state of psychical infantilism and by drawing them into a mass-delusion, religion
succeeds in sparing many people an individual neurosis.
5
This same concept is portrayed in the trilogy
The Matrix, where humanity acts out life in a world of delusion; the parallel to the unreal, Zion, is the
place of those that have awakened from the matrix. This would imply that the Matrix or the delusion
is necessary in order to keep order in society. Freuds problem is that the individual is forced with a sole
option imposed by civilization and/or culture.
The most profound analysis is laid out by juxtaposing sexual desire and the development of
civilization. Freud states that in an initial state, humans sought genital satisfaction, then formed families.
At that point, the male acquired a motive for keeping the femalehis sexual objects, near him, while
the female, who did not want to be separated from her helpless young, was obliged, in their interests, to
remain with the stronger male.
6
On the other hand, communal life compelled humans to work, due to
external necessity, and the power of love. Moreover, Freud criticizes those who are attracted by making

3
Civilization and Its Discontents pg 47
4
Ibid pg 51
5
Ibid pg 56
6
Ibid pg 78
sexual relations the central point of their lives.
7
This tug-of-war is what creates dissatisfaction within a
given civilization. Furthermore, prohibitions that are enacted by said civilization becomes a source of
serious injustice. This is where homosexuals, polyamorist, polygamist, and those who practice incest are
limited. As a result, it cuts off a fair number of them from sexual enjoyment.
8

Consequently, Freud states that individuals are discontent because their sexual desires are
curtailed. He says that men are forced into giving up the satisfaction of this inclination to aggression.
Aggression because of suppressed desires. This is particularly evident in Islamic societies where women
are kept hidden behind doors and the streets are swarmed with testosterone-injected young males. This
is indeed neurotic! Why does the individual succumb to this reality? Freud suggests, that civilized man
has exchanged a portion of his possibilities of happiness for a portion of security. In addition, he states,
that civilization is a process in the service of Eros, whose purpose is to combine single human
individuals, and after that families, then races, people and nations, into one great unity, the unity of
mankind. He states further that we do not know why this is. The struggle of life and the evolution of
civilization is appeased with the lullaby about Heaven.
It is very interesting that a midrash teaches that Cain and Abel were born with their respective
female counterparts. Cain was born with a sister and Abel with two sisters.
9
The rivalry between Cain
and Abel began because of this difference. Cains sexual desire for one of Abels sisters is what
eventually led him to assassinate his brother. As a punishment, Cain is banished to the land of Nod,
where he develops a city. The Book of Genesis presents two lineagesSeth and Cain. The descendants
of Seth are known as the Sons of God because of their divine character, whereas the women of Cain
are called the daughters of men.
10
The descendants of Cain built civilizations based on urban life,

7
Ibid pg 80
8
Ibid pg 85
9
Bereshith Rabbah 22:7
10
Genesis chapter 6
whereas Seths descendants built civilizations based on agriculture and the instructions from Adam. In
this account, the destruction of the Flood was the result of the two lineages mingling with each other,
thereby creating a generation of violence, lawlessness, and intolerance.
The idea of delusion is evident in the evolution of Jewish philosophy, from Sinai until
contemporary times. At a first stage, the Torah is revealed as a constitution for the Nation of Israel in
the Promised Land. When the Israelites were subject to dispersions and persecutions, in order to live
with reality, the Rabbis developed the notion of the world to come, the messiah, and gehinnom.
None of these concepts are to be found explicitly in the Torah nor the Prophetic writings. However, they
were created and taught in order to delude the people after failed attempts of bringing Heaven to
Earth. This is demonstrated in the Book of Ecclesiastes s by saying, Fear God and keep His
commandments, for this is mans all.

For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret
thing, whether good or evil. Some people during the days of the Prophet Isaiah said, Let us eat and
drink, for tomorrow we shall die.
11
This demonstrates the attitude of many Israelites who were
disillusioned with the rules and regulations of their government. Freud states that the prophetic voice
was the result of not wavering in the belief in Gods relationship with IsraelInstead they produced the
prophets, who held up their sinfulness before them; and out of their sense of guilt they created the
overstrict commandments of their priestly religion.
12
He contrasts this with the primitive man that
blames the object instead of himself. Freud concludes that the super-ego was once external and
becomes internalized. At that stage, the individual lives in perpetual anxiety and struggle, vulgarly called
temptation.
Finally, Freud believes that the most important problem of civilization is the idea of guilt. He
says, The price we pay for our advance in civilization is a loss of happiness through the heightening of

11
Isaiah 22:13
12
Civilization and Its Discontents pg 119
the sense of guilt.
13
He points out that since Christianity solves its problem with sin through the death
of Christ, one can infer how primal guilt emerged. This would mean that primitive man killed
someone, and felt guilty for it. Freud states that the sense of guilt is in existence before the super-ego,
and before the conscience. Consequently, at that time it is the immediate expression of fear of the
external authority, a recognition of the tension between the ego and that authority.
14

As a Jew, I sense that Freud (also a Jew) projected his own feelings of dissatisfaction with
civilization, especially since the Jewish People had suffered so much, being the Chosen People. This
paradox of selection and suffering is contradictory in the face of an all-loving, merciful, and
compassionate God. As a result, many Jews have taken this psychoanalytic approach to disavow
themselves from the Sinaitic Covenant. Many a time, it is forgotten that the God of Israel is the same
one that said, I am the Eternal One, I form the light, and create darkness, I do good, and create evil.
15

The beautiful of this idea is precisely that we have free-will (ego) to create a balance between the id (evil
inclination) and super-ego (good inclination). God creates darkness and evil, but humans form it through
free-will. Hence, when God tells Humanity, Be fruitful and multiply He also tells Humanity, Guard the
garden.
16
Therein, we see a perfect harmony between the sexual desire and civilization. Also, in the
biblical account, the Creator creates Humanity in Its image and likeness.
17
By image and likeness, it is
meant with rational and intellectual capacities. This contradicts Freuds thesis that human consciousness
proceeded the ego and guilt. In the Book of Genesis, Humanity makes a conscious choice to disobey the
super-ego (Creator), thereby empowering the id (Satan). The result of this disobedience is the source of
the egoisim vs altruism paradox.

13
Ibid pg 132
14
Ibigd pg 135
15
Isaiah 45:7
16
Genesis chapter 1 & 2
17
Ibid 1:26