Many aspects of our lives, including culture and religion, are fabricated on the basis of conjectures. Although these facts may remain unproven, little harm is inflicted from the possibility of misinformation. Contrarily, in the case of science, the smallest error can lead to severely misguided results and an inability to reach a solution. Dora An Analysis of a Case of Hysteria by Sigmund Freud exemplifies this situation, as Freud reveals an incomplete analysis relying on a slew of unjustified conjectures. During Dora’s time of treatment, Freud consistently ignores her denials and impresses his frequently outlandish theories on her, which ultimately leads to her early termination of treatment. Freud fails to cure Dora due to his flawed diagnosis upon unsupported conjectures and his embodiment of the patriarchal authoritativeness that lead to her hysteria. Freud starts his report by informing the readers of the incompleteness of his analysis and preparing them for a fragmented case. He admits that though the two dreams of Dora were recorded immediately after his session, “the case history itself was only committed to writing from memory, after the treatment was at an end […] thus the record is not absolutely – phonographically - exact” (4). Already, it becomes clear that the case will be based off of potentially invalid information. Freud attempts to defend this cause of skepticism by stating that the recollection remained fresh and heightened in his mind by his personal interest in the case (4). Freud clearly recognizes the opportunity for criticism due to the lack of information and accompanying lack of validity in his arguments, but he’s more intent on completing the report and proving his sexual desire and dream interpretat... ... middle of paper ... ...he success of his treatment, it’s clear that some-if not all is the result of her escaping from beneath the foot of her oppressors. Freud’s adoption of the oppressive qualities in which he attributes Dora’s hysteria to and his reliance on weak conjectures directly lead to the failure of his treatment. Throughout the analysis of Dora’s symptoms, Freud spews an endless stream of unsupported assumptions leading to an overall insignificant argument. He manipulates Dora’s dreams to become suitable proofs for his theories rather than genuinely attempting to cure her hysteria. Although Dora voices her disagreements, Freud overlooks her emotions for the sake of completing his case, which ultimately leads to her premature departure. Freud, being one of the many oppressive males of his time, seems to misinterpret penis envy for a simple hatred towards men.
Freud’s approach trauma is based in the treatment of hysteria. According to Ringel and Brandell, Freud and Breuer, considered an “external event” as responsible of determining hysterical symptoms. The common component between hysteria and trauma is the outcome of fright. Freud and Breuer emphasis the importance of cathartic experience as a way of decreasing or vanishing the effect. The “cathartic method” that was developed by Breuer, assisted to release of inhibited emotions. Freud believed that the libido, necessary to be relished for the symptoms to be improved (p. 43).
Westen, D. (1998). The scientific legacy of Sigmund Freud: toward a psychodynamically informed psychological science. Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), 333.
Sigmund Freud is an excellent example of male authority taking charge of a subject that he does not understand. Although Freud is largely recognized as a prestigious man of psychoanalysis, he had many outlandish ideas towards women, and he admitted to not understanding the complexities surrounding women. He clung to gender stereotypes and depicted the female as an inferior being, eternally jealous of men (Lax 394). The weak and incapable portrayal of female in Freud’s psychoanalytical theories treated the ability of women ever entering this new study of psychology. Freud’s arrival to America in 1909 began America’s fascination with psychoanalysis. The American Psychoanalytic Association was formed shortly after Freud’s visit and upheld a strict no women policy for fifteen years (McGovern). Freud was kind enough to share psychoanalysis with America, expect he made it a boys’ club with a no girls allowed rule and then decided to share his theories of female hysteria and penis envy (Lax). Sigmund Freud’s visit to America brought dangerous ideas and reinforced women’s role as inferior; however, the women of twentieth century America had had years of experience with controlling men and still found ways to infiltrate the American Psychoanalytic
examine Freud's claim in his own terms, as well as in the light of the
The place to start (in theory) is to critique the methodological issues behind Freud. As is common practice in the Psychodynamic field of psychology, Freud developed a generalized version of his theory from a limited amount of very carefully selected case studies, often from patients whom exhibited behaviours of extreme proportions (e.g. The Wolf Man; Sergei Pankejeff) . Although studies of extreme behaviours allow the psychologist to study said behaviours far easier, it would be illogical to assume that the traits exhibited would be applicable to the general public.
The aim of this essay is to clarify the basic principles of Freud’s theories and to raise the main issues.
Freud believed that a person's dreams fulfilled wishes and gave that person a sense of accomplishment to something that may only be achieved in the unconscious. Although Freud may have had persuasive views on certain issues, he by no means goes about proving these views in a scientific way. His approach is entirely skewed because he is trying to make Dora fit into his model theory so that her case provides concrete evidence to support those theories. However in doing this, he disrupts the natural essence of Dora. Scientists act in the reverse manner, in that they try to observe things in their natural state without disturbing them. Freud's biased views and way of conducting his sessions make it hard to believe that he has any suitable scientific data to support his theory, and thus is not to be considered a real scientist.
So Freud only focuses through Nathanael and never speaks from a coordinative perspective. And yet, one of the more remarkable narrative techniques of the story is precisely the us...
During the transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century, a psychologist named Sigmund Freud welcomed the new age with his socially unacceptable yet undoubtedly intriguing ideologies; one of many was his Psychoanalytic Theory of Dreams. Freud believed that dreams are the gateway into a person’s unconscious mind and repressed desires. He was also determined to prove his theory and the structure, mechanism, and symbolism behind it through a study of his patients’ as well as his own dreams. He contended that all dreams had meaning and were the representation of a person’s repressed wish. While the weaknesses of his theory allowed many people to deem it as merely wishful thinking, he was a brilliant man, and his theory on dreams also had many strengths. Freud’s theories of the unconscious mind enabled him to go down in history as the prominent creator of Psychoanalysis.
Freud, Sigmund. “Fragment of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria (“Dora”).” The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. Trans. James Strachey. New York: Norton, 1995. 172-239.
The methods he used to obtain his information and data raised questions by other scientists. His research on children was lacking, as was his use of empirical studies, his research was male-dominated and also lacked universality. The theory of the id, ego and superego develops from birth into childhood therefore the use of case studies on adults and the lack of empirical study does not seem feasible enough to have developed this theory. First of all there is no guarantee that the memories of these adults on their childhood would be accurate, there was not any factual, re-testable data so it lacked reliability and validity secondly each case and person’s experience is different and therefore cannot be use to determine the development of an entire population. Freud’s theory was further biased due to him overlooking social and environmental aspects, which prevent universality; he was a European man who researched other upper middle class Europeans whose everyday living and circumstances differed greatly from others in
Many feminist critics have perceived Freud to be an active force in Victorian gender politics that claim women's inferiority. His attitudes towards women, as reflected in his psychoanalyses, consciously reflect the patriarchal assumptions of Victorian society, but unconsciously reject gender roles and stereotypes about women. Freud is therefore complicit in accepting sexist perceptions of women, but is not a perpetrator who attempts to entrench patriarchy by portraying women as inferior. Because Freud is a victim of the prevalent stereotypes of society, feminist critics are unwarranted in characterizing him as an instigator of female degradation. Rather, his skewed perceptions reflect the male-chauvinist beliefs of his surroundings and influences. Freud's relationships with his female patients indicate that he simultaneously identifies with and fails to understand women. In identifying with women patients, Freud demonstrates concern for the underlying causes of psychological affliction, namely the constricting nature of gender roles. This fixation with the feminine complaint is exemplified in particular by Freud's dream of Irma and his case study of Dora, two recalcitrant female patients who refuse to accept his theories. Freud's failure to completely understand his female patients, however, indicates that he has begun to question patriarchal assumptions by realizing that fulfillment of stereotypically female roles leaves women unfulfilled. Unfortunately, he has not acted upon this realization because he consciously sees women through the clouded lens of Victorian bias. Because Freud fails to bring his unconscious desire to reject gender roles to the conscious surface, he never completely frees h...
Despite the fact that the psychoanalytic approach is the most controversial interpretation of literature, it proves to be utterly intriguing. In stories such as this, the sexual undertones are clearly evident, and thus substantiate the intricacies behind the approach. Perhaps it is a bit untraditional. However, this investigation remains both thought provoking and brilliantly compelling.
Sigmund Freud developed a very dynamic theory of psychoanalysis from which many modern psychoanalytic theories have developed. Freud’s theories, however, were based largely on his interactions with his own patients as opposed to clinical studies. Thus, some theories have fallen apart over the years, as they are difficult to prove. Regardless of this, the impact of his research lives on, and many of his ideas have evolved to shape a large portion of the modern world of psychology.
Freud regarded himself as a scientist, but many present-day critics consider his methods to be outdated, unscientific, and permeated with sexual bias. On the six criteria of a useful theory, we rated psychoanalysis high on its ability to generate research, very low on its falsifiability, and average on organizing knowledge, guiding action, and being parsimonious. Because it lacks operational definitions, we rated psychoanalysis low on internal consistency.