The founder of Psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud was a physiologist, and medical doctor and a psychologist. During the span of his research in psychotherapy he was criticized by many who claimed his research was not science. Although it has been decades and Freud’s work has filled many of today’s psychology textbooks, there are contemporary critics who still question the legitimacy of Freud’s scientific work. Sigmund Freud’s achievements unlocked the unconscious and developed modern psychotherapy. Freud’s childhood was more than ordinary. The structure of his family may have been confusing to Freud as a child. His father was old enough to look like he could have been Freud’s grandfather and his half-brothers looked as if they were old enough to be Freud’s father (Anderson, 2001). Freud also experienced the death of his infant brother which may have distorted his early concept of life and death. Sigmund was always treated differently compared to his siblings. From the time of his birth she knew he was going to have a productive future. He was the only child to have his own room in where he studied constantly. He received the highest marks in his school and learned six languages at an early age. Freud was a shining star student.
When Freud entered medical school he wanted to study research, but the research program was too difficult to get into. In addition, Freud may have been discriminated against due to his Jewish decent. He settled for becoming a doctor. During this time, Freud began courting Martha Bernays, who was a friend of his sister. Freud was very prude and apprehensive when it came to romantic relationships. There were numerous accounts of love letters that Freud sent to Martha. One of his letters consisted ...
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...s critics dismissed his findings as illegitimate. Although he received negative attention, he continued to prove to his critics that his research was indeed valid. Today, Freud’s theories are studied at the university level by many college campuses across the world. A dream Freud never got to see come true during his lifetime.
Works Cited
Anderson, J. (2001). Sigmund Freud’s Life and Work: An Unofficial Guide to the Freud Exhibit. Psychology and Behavioral Science Collection, 29(9).
Billig, M. (1997). Freud and Dora: Repressing an Oppressed Identity. Theory Culture Society, 14(29),
Ellmann, R. (1984). Freud and Literary Biography. American Scholar, 53(4), 465-478.
Kaplan, R. (2010). Freud’s Excellent Adventure Down Under: The only publication in Australia by the founder of psychoanalysis. Psychology and Behavioral Science Collection, 16(3), 205-209
Westen, D. (1998). The scientific legacy of Sigmund Freud: toward a psychodynamically informed psychological science. Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), 333.
Tony Crisp Discussion Forum: Sigmund Freud Copyright © 1999-2010 Tony Crisp | All rights reserved
Sigmund Freud is known as the founding father of psychology. If it wasn’t for Freud and his work psychology probably wouldn’t be around today (Javel, 1999). Although Freud had many followers there were some who didn’t agree with his work and found his work to be very controversial. There were also many who criticized his work, one of his most controversial and criticized work was his psychosexual stages of development and his believes about the famous “Oedipus Complex.” Psychoanalysis is the first known modality used to treat individuals with psychological disorders. Freud’s work was a foundation for many whether they believed in his work or not. From his work other psychologist
Freud was born on May 6, 1856, In Freiberg, Moravia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. Freud’s father was a wool merchant, when his business failed, he was forced to move the family to Leipzig, and then later to Vienna. Freud spend most of his like in Vienna and grew up with a very loving mother and a father he was afraid of. Although Freud did experience feelings of fear toward his father, he felt love toward him as well. On the other hand, Freud’s mother was very
Sigmund Freud, also referred to as the father of psychoanalysis, was a Viennese physician born in 1856; although he is considered one of the most influential psychologists in history, his journey into the depths of psychological research began in the medical field where he focused on neurology and nervous disorders. During his time as a physician, Freud acquired an interest in the role the unconscious plays in relation to fears and disorders, however, there was no research on the subject at this time. Therefore, as a way to find out what was making people afraid, Freud started asking his patients to tell him everything that came to mind, no matter how unpleasant it may be. Based on his theory, he believed that having his patients say whatever
Sigmund Freud's life work as a psychologist and psychoanalyst has been very influential. Sigmund Freud (1856-1931) attended college in Vienna where he started writing his many treatises and theories on the psychoanalytical approach. In 1881, Freud got his doctor's degree in medicine. From 1885-86, Freud spent time studying the effects of hypnosis and studied hysteria. From 1900 to 1916, Freud wrote many of his most famous works, such as The Interpretation of Dreams, and gave many lectures. Of all his works and theories, Freud is most known for his theories on the unconscious and for the importance he puts on sex (Thornton). With the start of World War I, Freud began studying several patients suffering from hysteria and shell-shock. He died of cancer in England in 1931.
He began his university studies at the University of Vienna in 1873. He was enrolled in medical school, but focused his attention on biology (Thornton par. 3). Between the years 1885 and 1886, Freud spent his time in Paris. He was amazed by the work of Jean Charcot and his hypnotism. However, once back in Vienna, he discovered that the effects of hypnotism did not last long. He worked with Josef Breuer and together they discovered that neuroses were caused by traumatic experiences. They tried to find way to bring out these experiences in their patients, hoping to cure them. They published their finding under the title, Studies in Hysteria (1895). Freud and Breuer soon parted, due to Breuer not agreeing with Freud’s belief on sexual origins. Freud believed sexual desires and instincts drove people to think and act they way they do (McLeod par. 2) Freud's theories were not received well by society until 1908. After he was invited to teach courses in the United States, he gained the reputation he is known for today (Thornton par. 6). He developed psychoanalysis as a new science. Freud's successful and, appearance wise, happy career contrasted against his personal
Sigmund Freud, a physiologist, health physician, psychologist and husband of psychoanalysis, is ordinarily appreciated as one of the most influential and commanding thinkers of the twentieth century. Freud’s most meaningful and frequently reiterated allegation, that with psychoanalysis he had invented a novel science of the mind, however, this still remains the focus of much severe controversy and controversy.
Past Biography. 1995 ed. Freud, Sigmund. A General Introduction Of Psychoanalysis. New York: Boni and Liveright,
...een disproven or modified by psychologists today, however his impact will always remain strong. His thoughts on human behavior were deep and original, which makes his techniques for treating psychological illness innovating. His use of self-awareness for unconscious thoughts was an intelligent approach for his time. “The principles of treatment which Freud enunciated were quite unlike those followed by conventional physicians in the practice of medicine, and must have seemed revolutionary in the period before the First World War when they were formulated” (Storr, 1989, p. 95). The way in which modern psychotherapy and forms of psycho-analysis are conducted today, is based off of Freud’s procedure (Storr, 1989, p. 95).
Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856, in Freiberg, Moravia, a small town in Austro-Hungarian. His parents were Amalia and Jacob Freud. His father was an industrious wool merchant with a happy and witty personality. His mother was a cheerful and vivacious woman. He was one of nine siblings. He was the first-born child of Amali and Jacob; however, two male siblings where from his father’s first marriage. When he was a young boy, his family moved to Vienna where he lived most of his life. At the age of twenty-six, he fell madly in love with Martha Bernays when she was visiting one of his sisters. Shortly thereafter, they married and had six children of their own three boys and three girls. His children describe him as a loving and compassionate man.
In 1908, Sigmund Freud was asked to lecture at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts (Baughman, et. al, 2012). During the course of this time, psychoanalysis was introduced into the United States and a number of prominent psychologists begin to implement and practice Freud’s work. However, Freud did not travel to the United States to launch his work. In fact, Freud, who was of the Jewish background, remained in Austria until 1938. Then, he settled in London when the Nazi’s began to come into Austria. If Sigmund Freud had chosen to stay in Austria, or even if he had gone elsewhere, like the United States, there is a strong possibility that the development of psychoanalysis may have never come into existence. Freud certainly would not
Freud, Sigmund. The Major Works of Sigmund Freud. Ed. Robert Maynard Hutchins. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 1955. Print.
Sigmund Freud was one of the original pioneers in the field of Psychology. The work that he accomplished throughout his lifetime laid a foundation for many theorists after him. The theorists that worked in Psychology, after Freud, were able to form their own thoughts, ideas, and hypotheses about the human mind after learning from his work. Sigmund Freud’s major contribution in the field of Psychology was his theory about the human psyche; which he called the Id, the Ego, and the Super-Ego. This theory was based on the human personality and its formation. Many of Freud’s analysis strategies became common practice in the field of Psychology and are still used today. Sigmund Freud will always be one of the most influential figures in the
Sigmund, son of Amalia and Jacob Freud, was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiburg, a rural town which was then a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A confused child, he experienced extreme love, desire, and hate which ultimately inspired him to study human development. School consumed virtually all of Freud's time until he graduated from the University of Vienna in 1881, with a degree in medicine (Stevenson).