Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) E

Social Characteristics Man is a social being and paradigms through which the world is explored are influenced by psycho-social experiences. Therefore, in evaluating the characteristics of this philosopher psychologist inevitably pertinent elements of his social life must be unwrapped in determining how the concepts he discovered were influenced by his sociology. Freud was born in the Czech Republic where he spent the first three years of his life. In 1859 his father moved to Leipzig Germany then to Vienna in 1836.This is where he was socialized into a German culture interpreting politics and social phenomenon at a very early age. Within his household there were many questions too since very early he realized that his two half brothers were the same age of his mother and he was slightly younger than his nephew. For Freud this was unusual, but certainly not an accident because it did initiate a series of soliloquies in embracing the true nature of family relationships as it pertained to the development of his psychoanalytic philosophies later in life. From an education- occupational background Freud?s father was a Jewish wool entrepreneur who sold his merchandise to support his family. However, his son displayed an academic predisposition by beginning to read Shakespeare as early as eight years old. Subsequently, during his adolescence when he discovered Goethe?s philosophies he was able to appreciate them. With this social dispensation Freud became a medical doctor who was intrigued by the anatomy and physiology of the human central nervous system. Further discoveries regarding the human mind evolved and he moved from philosopher to psychologist since he personally had scientifically proven many of his prepositions and hypotheses to be true. Philosophies As a philosopher he integrated sociology with psychology to talk about conflict from a perspective of cultural evolution as it relates to biological evolution. Actually, Freud created a paradigm to interpret human survival struggle as being the cause of his dissatisfaction, strife and ultimate disillusionment. This is summarized by philosophical explanations of inferiority complex and religion. His psychoanalytic reviews even though not validated by fellow thinkers formed the basis for his major philosophical conclusions. For example, a sensation of inferiority when assessed psychoanalytically was evaluated by reactions in the genitals. The male penis shrinks and alternatively the female clitoris. In reference to religion the concept ?mastery of the sensory world? projected the core reasons for people seeking to identify with this institution. He further explains that this mastery is somewhat a fantasy since it is based on luck motivated by wishful thinking. (Freud, 1930). Beyond the perceived relationship with a fleshly father, Freud philosophizes that there is no other concept humans can carry of ?father god? worshiped in religion. Conclusively, he emphasized that god is a personal identity humans have within their religious culture. (Freud, 1930). Theories Freud?s Theoretical propositions along with proven hypotheses has stunned the scientific world to the extent of deciphering whether he is really a genius or merely eccentric. Truly, here is where the complexity of him being a genius is profoundly expressed. Major theories include the conscious and unconscious mind; Id, ego super ego; life and death instincts; psychosexual development; defense mechanism and what is Freudian slip. In this discussion the writer will offer perspectives on two popular theories in evaluating whether Freud was a genius or simply eccentric. They are the conscious and unconscious mind and Id, ego and superego. Critical analysis of Freudian Philosophies and Theoretical perspectives This portion of the essay will offer readers an analysis of both classical and contemporary theorists as they divulge where Freud was either a fanatic or a true scholar of the discipline as it pertained to the philosophical and theoretical contributions he has made in the science. Psychoanalysis has been critically assessed in evaluating functions of both the conscious and unconscious minds as well as personality development impacting the id, ego and superego. Critics argue that it lacks enough empirical evidence for acceptance as a body of scientific knowledge to the discipline. Kristen M Beystehner, from the Northwestern University accepts the application of psychoanalysis as both a treatment along with its theoretical explanations of how the human mind processes information. However, with reference to Storr she offered the alternative that