Sigmund Freud is as loved as he is hated, but There is no doubt that his theoretical legacy has left marks on our culture and our society
Although his ideas have been completely outdated in terms of his explanations of the functioning of mental processes, both our way of thinking and our way of creating culture have, in part, his mark.
The most important and influential books of Sigmund Freud
That is why, even decades after his death, the work of the father of psychoanalysis continues to be of general interest.
Next You can see a small list with the most important Freud books, so that you can delve deeper into their ideas and evaluate them critically. The order in which they are listed is chronological, according to their year of publication.
1. Studies on hysteria (1895)
This book, written by Sigmund Freud and his mentor Josef Breuer, It is the seed of the psychodynamic theory that Freud would create during the years following the publication of these writings It is also the set of texts in which the ideas about the unconscious are intuited that would later give rise to the great theories of psychoanalysis, although in this case the theme is more related to psychiatry and clinical psychology of the late 19th century.
For many people, This is the book with which psychoanalysis was born In this work, Freud develops the idea that dreams could be the environment in which unconscious thoughts emerge into consciousness disguised through messages transmitted symbolically. Thus, dreams would be expressions of repressed desires that take the opportunity to peek into the conscious mind when we sleep.
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3. Psychopathology of everyday life (1901)
The theory created by Sigmund Freud not only deals with the causes of the symptoms of serious mental pathologies It also attempts to explain the fundamental psychological mechanisms behind human actions in general.
This is one of the books written by Freud in which the psychoanalyst explains the way in which, in his view, the functioning of our unconscious gives rise to the appearance of small inconsistencies in our way of behaving: lapses, confusing words when it comes to expressing ourselves and, in general, what Freud called failed acts. He also explains the possible failures in the functioning of the human psyche that from his perspective could be behind these phenomena.
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4. Three essays on sexual theory (1905)
Sexuality had a very important role in Freudian theory In fact, some of his students distanced themselves from him, among other things, because of the emphasis with which the father of psychoanalysis defended the centrality of the sexual as part of the unconscious and instinctual machinery that makes us behave as we do. .
This is one of Freud’s most important books because it contains the ideas that shape Freud’s theory of psychosexual development.
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5. Totem and Taboo (1913)
Unlike the rest of Freud’s books, this selection of essays goes beyond the clinical field to delve into those phenomena historically rooted in the social and cultural spheres. The conclusions found between the pages of this work They have implications on topics such as religion, rituals and even archeology
The content of this work is more philosophical and anthropological than that of the rest of Freud’s books.
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6. Introduction of narcissism (1914)
The content of this book is a review of Freud’s theory of drives. In Introduction of narcissismFreud explains that narcissism is part of the normal functioning of the psyche and that its seed is present from the first stages of psychosexual development.
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7. Introduction to psychoanalysis (1917)
Who better to introduce us to psychoanalysis than the person who created it?
Within the pages of this work, Sigmund Freud explains the main foundations of psychoanalytic theory and points out the fundamental pillars on which the work of the psychoanalyst must be based. It is a good option to get a general idea of what Freud meant by neurosis, the unconscious, dreams, repression, etc.
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8. Beyond the pleasure principle (1920)
This is the first book by Freud in which a distinction appears between the life drives (Eros) and death drives (Tanathos). In addition, Sigmund Freud’s theory of instincts is portrayed here in great detail.
The theory of ego structures It is of total relevance within Freud’s work, and its foundations are well explained in this book. The difference between the Id, the Ego and the Superego, as well as the principles by which they are governed and their role in the human psyche, are analyzed in depth.
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10. The malaise in culture (1930)
Since Sigmund Freud dealt a lot with the tensions between the individual drives of each one and the conflict in which these entered when they collided with the norms of behavior, It is not surprising that he dedicated one of his books to examining the fit between individual and culture The basic idea that is captured in the pages of this essay is that, as the interests of civilization and the primary desires of individuals are in constant tension, this generates a feeling of chronic discomfort.
This is one of Freud’s most important books from the perspective of social psychology.
