SIGMUND FREUD CIVILIZATION AND ITS DISCONTENTS Christopher Hitchens AND EDITED ay James StracheyCopyright © 1861 by James Strachey Copyright © 1989 by Peter Gay Copyright © 2010 by Christopher Hitchens Al sights reserved Printed in the United States of Americ For ilormation about pension to reproduce slezions from this book, write to Permissions, W. W. Norton & Company. Inc, 500 ith Avenue, New York, NY 10110 For infomation aboct special dscouns for blk purchases, please contact 'W. W. Norton Special Sales ac specialiales@wovnorton.com or 8002233830 ‘Manufacturing by Couser Westford Production manager Devon Zahn Library of Congress Cataloging a Publication Dats Fred, Sigmund, 1855-1939, {Unbchagen in der Kultur. English) Civilization and is discontent / Sigmund Freud intrusion bby Christopher Hitchers; wacalated and edited by James Surschey ; biographical aerword by Peter Cay Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978.0.393.30451-0 (pbk) 1. Prychoanalysis. 2. Ciilzation, 1 Strachey, James I, Title, BF173.F683 2010 1301952—en2 2010011485 W.W. Norton & Company, Ine 500 Fith Avenue, New York, NY, 10110 W.W. Norton & Company Lid (Castle Howse, 75°76 Well Sees, London WIT 30T 67890[ AL wotr Future of an Masion (1927c) 1 was concerned much less with the deepest sources of the religious feeling than with what the common man understands by his reli- gion—with the system of doctrines and promises which on the one hand explains to him the riddles of this world with enviable completeness, and, on the other, assures him that a careful Providence will watch over his life and will compensate him in a future existence for any frustra- tions he suffers here. The common man cannot imagine this Providence otherwise than in the figure of an enor- mously exalted father. Only such a being can understand the needs of the children of men and be softened by their Prayers and placated by the signs of their remorse. The whole thing is so patently infantile, so foreign to reality, that to anyone with a friendly attitude to humanity it is painful to think that the great majority of mortals will never be able to rise above this view of life. It is still more 39