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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

?Essay on Sigmund Freud - Understanding the Cause for Misery of the Modern Man


            Living in the modern society is supposed to make life better for the individuals who live in it.  First, it is presumed that modern man has started to understand more about nature and knows how to control it to man’s advantage.  Modern society with its modern technology is expected to be able to protect itself against the forces of nature.  For instance, man has been able to utilize the powerful forces of the wind and water to generate electricity.  At the same time, man has started to protect itself against the destructive forces of the tsunami, typhoon and tornadoes.  Second, modern society helps in regulating human behavior.  It has a set of laws and principles that governs the interactions between individuals for their mutual protection and benefit.  For instance, modern society has a set of laws that protect one person against the actions of another.  These laws define what acts are prohibited and punishable by the modern society.  Third, modern society also advances beauty, peace, justice and equality.  For instance, after realizing the impact of human practices on the environment, modern society now has various programs designed to protect the environment.  Practices which are sustainable and environment-friendly are now being promoted in a global scale. 

            At first glance, it would seem that modern society should be able to help man find happiness.  Modern society should be able to protect man against anything that may cause him to become unhappy such as sickness and disease.  Modern society should be able to allow man to be able to do anything that will make him happier. 

            Sigmund Freud, however, argued that modern society is also a cause for modern man’s unhappiness and discontentment.  In fact, modern society is also partially responsible for the misery and suffering experienced by modern man.  As a result, modern man has a subliminal hostility against civilization.

            There are several reasons why modern society has contributed to man’s misery.  First, modern society emphasizes on the sacrifice of individual happiness for the promotion of general welfare.  Modern society enjoins everybody to give up a portion of their happiness for the interest of the greater good.  For example, man’s instinct is aggression and sex.  Modern society however cannot tolerate violence and promiscuity.  “Men usually do not find it easy to do without satisfaction of their tendency to aggression that is in them: when deprived of the satisfaction of it they are ill at ease.” (Piero P. Giorgi 14)

            Second, modern society diminishes the freedom and liberty of individual for the sake of common good.  Modern society has rules and laws which restrict human freedom and liberty.  It is part of human personality to want to engage in action that will lead to his happiness.  Misery results when there are laws that restrict human freedom and liberty.  For example, the 2001 terrorist attacks had resulted in the government passing various laws that affect human freedom and liberty.  Because of the terrorist attacks, it has become a constitutional practice to harass and intimidate Middle Eastern men and women.  Because of terrorist attacks, the government had legitimized the search into suspected individual’s deposit account, emails, and telephone records.  The public are now subjected to strict rules and procedures before they can be allowed to board any airplane.  The situation nowadays is much worse than the situation in the past. 
 
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For example, drinking is a great stress-reliever.  It is a great way for an individual to relax and have fun.  However, when a person is drunk he cannot drive.  There are laws that make it a crime for a person to drink and then drive.  Its purpose is to protect the innocent pedestrians against the individual who is drunk driving.  While the purpose of the law is good, it restricts human behavior.  It curtails the basic desires of man which is to have fun.  It prohibits man from the pleasure of drinking.  While the protection of other individuals is a primordial right it should not be to the extent of sacrificing individual pleasure and happiness.   It must be stressed that there are individuals who can drink and drive safe.  There are responsible drinkers who can drink without being a menace to the society.  These kinds of individuals are greatly affected by the law against drunk driving.

            In contrast, those who lived in primitive societies do not have to be concerned with rules and laws.  In fact, in primitive societies, there was no restriction upon man’s instincts.  If an individual wants to do something he could most probably do it without having to go through the complex procedure the modern society has today. 

            Though there is a measure of inconvenience in today’s society, it can be argued that these are minor inconveniences that every member of this modern society should tolerate for the sake of long-term happiness and enjoyment of happiness by every body.  It should be understood that in view of the complexity of the modern society, a person’s happiness may not be the same as another person’s happiness.  Oftentimes a person’s happiness could be the source of sorrow and pain for another.  For example, an individual is a womanizer and enjoys being in the company of different women everyday.  If such activity is allowed in primitive societies then the same could no longer be tolerated as a practice in modern society otherwise the foundation of marriage will be destroyed.  His happiness can lead to the source of misery of his wife and his children whom he may not be able to adequately provide support due to his lifestyle.  In another example, a person likes to smoke and finds pleasure smoking even in public places.  An individual’s happiness can also be the source of misery of another because second hand smoke could also be harmful to other people. 

            Moreover, while the security procedures being observed now in public places such as malls are inconvenient they are necessary as a measure of security for everybody.  While it may be true that bank accounts, emails, telephone records are being peered into they are also necessary in the conduct of investigation by the government agencies who are tasked to protect the country against domestic and international threats.

            Instincts need to be curbed.  It is the only way by which everybody may be able to live in the modern society.  Without the restriction on basic human instincts then it would not be possible to live in the modern society.  There will be more misery, unhappiness, stress and pain.  According to Bernard Jolibert, “Just as civilization began to withdraw from the ‘primitive state’ as a result of ‘frustration’, ‘privation’, ‘prohibition’ or taboo, individual education, as a constraint, is a necessity, whereby the child can be steered from a state of primitive desire to one of controlled desire.” (463)  Moreover, there is an implied consent that the primitive desire to hurt other people or to cause damage to another should no longer be tolerated.  It is the reason why children are sent to school at a very young age.  In school, young children are disciplined by the school teachers.  They are taught not only the letters of the alphabet but even moral values.  The task of the teachers is to indoctrinate the children to the values of the society.  At the end of the day, the children are expected to learn these values and to practice these values at home.   

 
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