Sigmund Freud's Theory On The Unconscious Mind

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Sigmund Freud (whether philosophers and psychologists agree or not), was known for his abstract ideas and theories during the Victorian era, and is still known and recognized in todays society. Many of his theories and Ideas are outrageous or outdated, but some of his work is still influential today. This is true, because in four of my classes that I have taken at Penn State so far, we have discussed Freud’s philosophies in some shape or form. If students are still learning about his work in today’s higher education curriculums, his ideas still have some relevance in the 21st century. Many of Freud’s ideas do not reflect on the dominant social norms of todays era, but can be “updated” to fit into today’s standards. His ideas such as repression, …show more content…

Freud did not discover the idea of the unconscious mind, however he was correct in his idea that humans aren’t 100% capable of knowing everything that goes on in the mind. His theory explained that human thoughts, deeds, and overall human experiences are not just determined by conscious thought and rationality, but by forces outside of ones conscious level of control and awareness. These forces, Freud believed, could cause urges and other impulses that were absurd or perverse that the conscious mind wouldn’t be able to notice or act …show more content…

When Freud was alive, he believed that neurosis and hysteria created ideas and other materials that created anxiety among humans that took place in the unconscious mind. Freud also believed that these ideas were too hard to think about using the conscious mind, but the ideas still needed to be expressed in some way, shape, or form. This idea along with others helped create the psychoanalytic theory. This theory provided methods that helped treat mental illness as well as explaining other human behaviors. In todays society, this exact theory might not be accepted, because in the world we live in now, many people need hard core proof or evidence in order to agree with different ideas. The overall idea of Neurosis and Hysteria can still be relevant in today’s society, however, under a new name. In our generation, doctors, philosophers, and psychologists might think of these unconscious anxieties as specific mental desires, separating them into different categories (like obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD) rather than just grouping them under one broad category as a

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