Sigmund Freud

The Origin and Development of Psychoanalysis (Dodo Press) Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud, born Sigismund Schlomo Freud (1856- 1939), was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who founded the psychoanalytic school of psychology. He is best known for his theories of the unconscious mind, especially involving the mechanism of repression; his redefinition of sexual desire as the primary motivational energy of human life, directed toward a wide variety of objects; and his therapeutic techniques, especially his theory of transference in the therapeutic relationship and the presumed value of dreams as sources of insight into unconscious desires. He is commonly referred to as "the father of psychoanalysis" and his work has been highly influential - popularizing such notions as the unconscious, the Oedipus complex, defense mechanisms, Freudian slips and dream symbolism-while also making a long-lasting impact on fields as diverse as literature, film, Marxist and feminist theories, and psychology. His works include: The Interpretation of Dreams (1900), The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (1901), Totem and Taboo (1905), The Ego and the Id (1923) and Civilization and its Discontents (1930).