What Early Psychologist Has Been Most Influential on Modern Society and Why, Essay Example

I believe that the psychologist whose great influence on modern society and contemporary Psychological science cannot be denied is Sigmund Freud (1858–1939). An Austrian psychiatrist born in Moravia, he did actually altered the way people used to think, and the results of this transformation we observe and actually participate in today. The field of psychology is extremely extensive. Some of the forms of therapies present in it today are in fact based on Sigmund Freud’s ideas. Talk therapies using Jungian and Adlerian analyses, cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic therapies, – they all have their origin in Freud’s influence on psychoanalysis. Freud was the one to consider the importance of unconscious mind in comprehending and interpreting conscious thought and behavior in his studies. He described the human sexual conflict described as feeling desire for committing incest and constantly fighting against it. He was speculating on the theory that all human beings are driven by two contradicting desires which are life drive and death drive.

Freud is truly believed to be a most important personality in the early development of psychoanalysis. All of his speculations are widely known and constantly argued about. His ideas were evidently picked up and further developed by other scholars, but could the profession of psychology become what it is today without his pioneering in the field?

Freud “asks questions that are so interesting – about character, about independence, about how to be free and still relate to another person, and how to relate to death. The great question is how we come to have the desires we have and how that is related to the people who brought us up” (“Analyzing influence of Sigmund Freud: Library of Congress’ upcoming exhibit looks at ‘Conflict, Culture’,” 1998). Surely, Freud was far from being the only one who has raised these subjects, but he was the one who made it in a wonderfully convincing and effective way.

What has made his way of thinking modern is the way he was always emphasizing the idea of human’s inability to be happy even considering the abundance one is given from the very birth. Personality’s incapacity to apply far-sighted thinking, human’s quality of ruining everything one can actually benefit from, – is one of the most crucial issues today. Freud claimed that human-beings are not born for happiness, and somehow this at first sight simple, but in fact extremely complicated idea endured through the years, still finding response in our minds.

I want to mention that considering Freud one of the most influential psychologists of all times doesn’t mean that I agree with his statements, as well as I do not pretend to believe that other people do. What is curious about the influence of Freud’s manipulations is that it’s not that much about the practical application of his theories, which usually sound absurd to most normal people, but in the way they make you think hard over the issues they address. “Trying to figure out Freud can drive you crazy. He’s easily mocked and derided, widely admired and even revered. His defenders and detractors spar in ivy towers, courtrooms and hospitals” (“Freud for Thought,” 1998). Freud wasn’t simply about revealing his psychological theories and ideas, he was all about contradictions, controversies and paradoxes.

Indeed, most of his ideas are outdated. Some of them have hardly ever been topical. Yet his contribution into the science of psychology is truly great and has resulted into general respect. “Freud put the study of psychology on the map of scientists the globe over. He was one of the first to develop a theory and his errors only led to more credible theories of psychology to later be developed” (Con, 2006).

I believe that Freud presented us an opportunity to lose free of the pretending-game extremely popular in his times. He consciously opened his mind to the world, sharing his each thought, either absurd or not, with the whole world. Freud freed the humanity from silent disapproval of own nature. Through his whole life he had been declaring the ideas so nonsensical that people let themselves believe in the normality of own life perception. He mixed up pure love of a child with the sexual desire of a person who reached puberty, attributing human psychological problems to the sexual repression that affects human subconscious mind, believing that most woman are defective and their problems are caused by the envy to men’s genitals. No doubt most of his conclusions are either mistaken or intentionally presented in the ridiculous way. But we still acknowledge the great work he had done laying foundation for Psychology as we know it today. His theories gave birth to numerous scientific theories and schools of thought, that have consequently helped many people to regain control over own life and approach happiness, which Freud nevertheless denied. “What Freud wanted most was to enable troubled patients to liberate their unconscious to take responsibility for their own actions” (Freud for thought). People’s communication of Freud’s theories which confused and distorted them more than actually delivered to anyone, has made Freud’s ideas sound in a superficial and ridiculous way. Yet simplification of his thought is unacceptable and we should never forget about the amazing impact his ‘open mind’ has had on the modern social life and world understanding.

References

Analyzing influence of Sigmund Freud: Library of Congress’ upcoming exhibit looks at ‘Conflict, Culture’. (1998, September 22). The Washington Times, p.8

Con. H. (2006). Reflections on how Sigmund Freud’s theories stand up in modern society. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from http://www.helium.com/items/532501-reflections-on-how-sigmund-freuds-theories-stand-up-in-modern-society/

Freud for Thought. (1998, October 15). The Washington Times, p. 17.