Belinda Niu 2600307

Going Beyond the Pleasure Principle to the Death Instinct

Going Beyond the Pleasure Principle to the Death Instinct

In Beyond the Pleasure Principle, Signum Freud theorizes on the implications of traumatic neurosis. He begins by discussing the initial development of the condition; it occurs after an individual experiences severe mechanical concussions, or in other words, accidents that involve a legitimate endangerment to life. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 10) These accidents act as powerful external stimuli that penetrate the protective shield of the ego and trigger a response in the form of the compulsion to repeat. Freud uses the particular case study of dreams to illustrate how an individual continues reliving their trauma over and over again while sleeping. Unlike other cases of repetition involving the mind, however, such as childrens play, this repetitive compulsion does not deliver any enjoyment or gratification to the individual. As a result, Freud asserts that it cannot be explained by the pleasure principle. He proposes instead that it is a more primitive, more elementary force that functions beyond the pleasure principle. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 25) The extent to which the reader is convinced of this assertion becomes the foundation for Freuds ultimate argument about the death instinct. To him, the repetitive compulsion that comes with traumatic neurosis is a clear manifestation of an individuals desire to return to an earlier state of things, specifically, through dreams. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 69) He further interprets their consistent re-experiencing of a lifethreatening situation as their death instinct an internal desire to die and restore themselves to an inorganic state. Ultimately, Freud seeks to prove that understanding the compulsion to repeat in relation to traumatic neuroses requires going beyond the pleasure principle and acknowledging the existence of the death instinct; his argument is well reasoned but also highly rhetorical and difficult to believe in a modern world increasingly obsessed with prolonging youth and life. Freud begins his argument by outlining the characteristics of traumatic neurosis and

proving that the nature of the repetitive compulsion that follows cannot be explained by the pleasure principle. The initial cause of traumatic neurosis, he claims, is experiencing severe mechanical concussions. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 10) Included in this experience is the presence of fright and with it, an element of surprise. The individual has no anticipation of the trauma that is about to befall them, and resultantly, the strength of the external stimuli from the event easily penetrates through the egos protective shield. The mental apparatus is then overwhelmed by the amount of stimulus it must counteract and cannot fully neutralize all of the excitations. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 33) As the function of the pleasure principle has been debilitated by the rupture of the protective shield, the individual reverts to a more primitive coping mechanism, the minds tendency to re-experience traumatic events, the compulsion to repeat. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 21) Freud describes two distinct ways in which individuals pursue this compulsion, actively and passively. He considers mental patients who repeat all of these unwanted situations and painful emotions and revive them with the greatest ingenuity to be in active pursuit of the compulsion to repeat. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 22) They so deeply believe in their own inherent inferiority that they repeat and revive traumatic events from the past, purposefully interrupting their treatment to return to feel(ing) themselves scorned. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 22, 23) A degree of masochism is involved in this repetition that Freud will later on incorporate into his definition of the death instinct. He is much more impressed, however, by instances where the subjects have a passive experience; one that they have no influence over but, as a result of, still become engaged in a repetition of traumatic events. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 24) The explanation Freud provides for this is simply, that there really does exist in the mind a compulsion to repeat which overrides the pleasure principle. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 24) Through the example of individuals who actively engage in repetitive compulsion,

Freud emphasizes the fact that they experience over and over again something that is not enjoyable to them; this could not possibly occur under the influence of the pleasure principle. His observations of individuals who passively engage in the compulsion to repeat demonstrates its strength; even without a conscious effort or motive, one cannot help but relive past trauma. It is clear that his ultimate aim for discussing active and passive repetitive compulsion is to prove that in both instances, the behavior of individuals is not a result of the pleasure principle because the compulsion to repeat overrides it. To further exemplify that the compulsion to repeat caused by traumatic neuroses requires going beyond the pleasure principle to be explained, Freud uses the case study of dreams. Specifically, he compares dreams under the dominance of the pleasure principle with those that result from trauma. The main function of dreams dominated by the pleasure principle is to bring about the fulfillment of wishes in a hallucinatory manner. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 36) Freud discusses this role with greater detail in a previous work, The Interpretation of Dreams, where he asserts, we have found that a dream represents a wish as fulfilled. (The Interpretation of Dreams 122) According to Freud, the unconscious mind uses dreams as a vehicle to resolve conflicts, whether from recent events or past history. Additionally, resolution often involves the satisfaction of a wish from the unconscious considered unacceptable by the ego. (The Interpretation of Dreams 68) We derive from this the evident dominance of the pleasure principle. Through dreams, the unconscious id seeks a wish fulfillment that would be resisted by the ego, a concrete example of the pleasure principle (id) seeking to overcome the reality principle (ego). In the case of an individual suffering from traumatic neurosis, however, dreams are a form in which the compulsion to repeat manifests itself. The function of these dreams is very different than those under the pleasure principle; acting as a coping mechanism following

traumatic events, their ultimate aim is to master the stimulus retrospectively. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 37) Freud believes that this is accomplished through the way the dreams repeatedly elicit the repressed anxiety of the individual from the events. He acknowledges that these dreams are an exception to his theory of dreams as wish fulfillments, as they do not arise from an individuals need for satisfaction, but rather, from their fixation on their trauma and their inability to disobey the compulsion of the mind to repeat. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 12, 37) Overall, Freuds comparative analysis between dreams under the dominance of the pleasure principle versus those resulting from traumatic neurosis in the form of repetitive compulsion adds further support to his claim, that there really does exist in the mind a compulsion to repeat which overrides the pleasure principle. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 24) It is important, however, to recognize that Freuds argument does not suggest that all forms of the compulsion to repeat are unexplainable by the pleasure principle; he compares repetitive compulsion in the form of childrens play with traumatic neuroses in order to show why, unlike the latter, the former does not require going beyond the pleasure principle to understand. Using the example of a young boy, Freud describes his affinity for a self-devised game that involves repeatedly flinging away and then retrieving his toys. He plays this game whenever his mother leaves him alone. Freud discusses two psychological functions behind the repetition of the boys play, both of which feed into the pleasure principle. First, Freud interprets the boys act of flinging the toys away as a re-enactment of his mothers departure. When he retrieves the toys, the child reinforces to himself that her joyful return awaits. While the ultimate satisfaction of the pleasure principle would be her return, for the time being, the instantaneous gratification the boy receives from his game is enough. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 15) As a second option, Freud suggests that the young boy turns what he is experiencing in reality into a

game he dictates in order to leave his passive situation for an active part. At the same time, he is satisfying an impulse (pleasure principle) he may have had in real life, to revenge himself on his mother for going away. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 15) In both these interpretations, the child, through repetitive compulsion, is able to counter the unpleasure of his mother leaving him by gaining pleasure through his repeated game. This does not happen in the case of patients suffering from traumatic neurosis. The pleasure principle cannot possibly dominate the repetitive compulsion of their dreams or events in their lives, as they receive no resulting satisfaction or enjoyment from the repetition. Freud therefore provides what he believes to be the only alternative explanation, that there really does exist in the mind a compulsion to repeat which overrides the pleasure principle. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 24) Understanding the nature of traumatic neurosis thus requires going beyond the pleasure principle because the compulsion to repeat is dominated by something more primitive, more elementary, (and) more instinctual. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 25) The name he later on gives to this phenomenon is the death instinct. Freuds ultimate theory concerning the presence of a death instinct in all living matter relies on his proof that understanding traumatic neurosis and the compulsion to repeat requires going beyond the pleasure principle. He believes that the death instinct fills the void of what the pleasure principle fails to explain. Before delving into this theory, however, Freud sets the foundation with a description of instinct, by itself, as an urge inherent in organic life to restore an earlier state of things. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 43) When applied to traumatic neurosis, this understanding of instinct relates to the nature of repetitive compulsion. By consistently returning to emotional and visual re-enactments of a near-death experience through dreams, those suffering from traumatic neurosis are submitting to instinctual forces rather than

the pleasure principle. They are compelled instinctually to relive their trauma over and over again. The repetition of these painful, near-death recollections cannot be explained by the pleasure principle, but they can be explained by the death instincts: the individual possesses an internal desire to die return to the inorganic state from which they emerged. The subject is only able to partially fulfill this desire through the compulsion to repeat, but the repetition itself serves as evidence that the death instinct exists. Overall, Freuds ultimate theory can be condensed into his assertion that, the aim of all life is death and looking backwards, that inanimate things existed before living ones. (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 46) In Beyond the Pleasure Principle, it is clear that Freud possesses masterful rhetorical skills and presents a convincing argument concerning the existence of a death instinct; however, while the modern privileging of youth and life is not entirely incompatible with his theory, it does make it difficult to believe. We are a society that is encompassed by a fear of death. Science and technology has been devoted to the prolongation of youth, with the understanding that signs of old age are signs of an impending expiration of life. Anti-aging cosmetic products are readily available to those who seek them. Distress is shown at the earliest sightings of gray hairs, and then the hairs are popularly concealed by dyes. Although not as widespread, surgical enhancements are another available vehicle to stretch the appearance of youth for longer periods of time. Science and technology has also been devoted to the prolongation of life, overall. There is a consistent stream of ongoing research directed at countering forces that pose a threat to human life, such as cancer. Medical treatment is expanded to cover as many in the population as possible. When serious illnesses do befall individuals, it is not uncommon to see a large scale communal effort directed in response, towards a recovery. It can be said that, generally, we actively engage in fighting against death with all the resources available to us.

At the same time, Freuds theory is not completely inapplicable. Our obsession with youth and life also translates into the actions we undergo to project the image of our youth and to enjoy our life fully. For some, these actions are actually detrimental to their vitality when they take the form of drugs and alcohol. The continued abuse of these substances by many serves as evidence that a compulsion to repeat what causes harm does exist in human nature. There are indications, however abstract, of a reckless movement by humans towards death that may imply the presence of a death instinct. This is not only exemplified by the trivial example of drugs and alcohol, but other life endangering pursuits that we consciously engage in every day, the risks of roller coasters, the dangers of driving on the road, or of flying in the air, for example. A foundation exists in our modern world from which the existence of the death instinct could be both challenged and defended. Unfortunately, Freud can offer no further arguments from his ashes in London. We are thus left, as is often the case in philosophy, to continue debating amongst ourselves.