Life and death in Freudian metxapsychology: A reappraisal of the second instinctual dualism

Abstract

In this paper we re-examine the second instinctual dualism hypothesis introduced by Freud in Beyond the Pleasure Principle. We suggest that the life instinct hypothesis as something opposed to the death instinct does not seem to fit into this theory easily. On the other hand, death instinct turns out to be an internal necessity of Freudian metapsychological theory from the beginning of Freud's metapsychological writing. We shall argue, based on the ideas formulated in Beyond the Pleasure Principle and in later metapsychological texts, that Freud could not wholly justify the existence of an opposition and a symmetry between the two classes of instincts. Even though up to his last works Freud held on to this instinctual dualism, again and again his arguments lead to the idea that the life instincts should be regarded, ultimately, as death instincts.

The death drive: Conceptual analysis and relevance in the Spanish psychoanalytic community

“…6 6 We agree with Caropreso and Simanke (2008) that it is not possible to establish a symmetrical opposition between the life and death drives, for they are both ruled by economic principles that seek the release of tension. Nonetheless, this drive dualism may be justified in so far as to understand reality, our mind classifies it into dichotomies (white–black, inside–outside, good–bad, and so on) that are the product of the activity of the lower parietal lobe.…”

“…16 16 Caropreso and Simanke’s assertion that current biological research supports the notion that death is genetically programmed (Caropreso and Simanke, 2008) seems to have been refuted by some contemporary scientists. Richard Gregory (2006) claims that “the brain is designed to survive, not to search for truth” (Gregory, 2006, p. 457).…”

The death instinct and the mental dimension beyond the pleasure principle in the works of Spielrein and Freud

“…We can nonetheless query whether Freud managed to coherently sustain his hypothesis of the existence of two classes of drives (Eros and the death drive). Caropreso and Simanke () analyse the impasses in the Freudian argument in this respect and point out the fragility of the second drive dualism.…”

O Trieb de Freud como instinto 1: sexualidade e reprodução

“…Seja como for, traduções mais recentes de Freud em português fizeram também essa opção, como se menciona abaixo. 2 Para uma discussão das dificuldades encontradas por Freud em justificar a categoria dos instintos de vida (maior do que com relação ao instinto de morte, ao contrário do que muitos pensam), ver Caropreso & Simanke (2008). …”