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On Metapsychology, the Theory of Psychoanalysis: Beyond the Pleasure Principle, The Ego and the Id and Other Works
Covering the last three decades of Freud's life, this collection provides a chronological account of Freudian metapsychology, enabling the reader to trace the development of Freud's thought and modification of his theories in the light of his findings from his clinical work. These writings cover all the topics central to psychoanalytical theory: the role of the unconscious in mental life, instinct theory (including the life and death instincts and the concepts of repetition compulsion), reality-testing and the ego's relation to the external world.
493 pages, Paperback
First published March 6, 1968
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About the author
Sigmund Freud
4,096 books8,492 followersDr. Sigismund Freud (later changed to Sigmund) was a neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, who created an entirely new approach to the understanding of the human personality. He is regarded as one of the most influential—and controversial—minds of the 20th century.
In 1873, Freud began to study medicine at the University of Vienna. After graduating, he worked at the Vienna General Hospital. He collaborated with Josef Breuer in treating hysteria by the recall of painful experiences under hypnosis. In 1885, Freud went to Paris as a student of the neurologist Jean Charcot. On his return to Vienna the following year, Freud set up in private practice, specialising in nervous and brain disorders. The same year he married Martha Bernays, with whom he had six children.
Freud developed the theory that humans have an unconscious in which sexual and aggressive impulses are in perpetual conflict for supremacy with the defences against them. In 1897, he began an intensive analysis of himself. In 1900, his major work 'The Interpretation of Dreams' was published in which Freud analysed dreams in terms of unconscious desires and experiences.
In 1902, Freud was appointed Professor of Neuropathology at the University of Vienna, a post he held until 1938. Although the medical establishment disagreed with many of his theories, a group of pupils and followers began to gather around Freud. In 1910, the International Psychoanalytic Association was founded with Carl Jung, a close associate of Freud's, as the president. Jung later broke with Freud and developed his own theories.
After World War One, Freud spent less time in clinical observation and concentrated on the application of his theories to history, art, literature and anthropology. In 1923, he published 'The Ego and the Id', which suggested a new structural model of the mind, divided into the 'id, the 'ego' and the 'superego'.
In 1933, the Nazis publicly burnt a number of Freud's books. In 1938, shortly after the Nazis annexed Austria, Freud left Vienna for London with his wife and daughter Anna.
Freud had been diagnosed with cancer of the jaw in 1923, and underwent more than 30 operations. He died of cancer on 23 September 1939.
In 1873, Freud began to study medicine at the University of Vienna. After graduating, he worked at the Vienna General Hospital. He collaborated with Josef Breuer in treating hysteria by the recall of painful experiences under hypnosis. In 1885, Freud went to Paris as a student of the neurologist Jean Charcot. On his return to Vienna the following year, Freud set up in private practice, specialising in nervous and brain disorders. The same year he married Martha Bernays, with whom he had six children.
Freud developed the theory that humans have an unconscious in which sexual and aggressive impulses are in perpetual conflict for supremacy with the defences against them. In 1897, he began an intensive analysis of himself. In 1900, his major work 'The Interpretation of Dreams' was published in which Freud analysed dreams in terms of unconscious desires and experiences.
In 1902, Freud was appointed Professor of Neuropathology at the University of Vienna, a post he held until 1938. Although the medical establishment disagreed with many of his theories, a group of pupils and followers began to gather around Freud. In 1910, the International Psychoanalytic Association was founded with Carl Jung, a close associate of Freud's, as the president. Jung later broke with Freud and developed his own theories.
After World War One, Freud spent less time in clinical observation and concentrated on the application of his theories to history, art, literature and anthropology. In 1923, he published 'The Ego and the Id', which suggested a new structural model of the mind, divided into the 'id, the 'ego' and the 'superego'.
In 1933, the Nazis publicly burnt a number of Freud's books. In 1938, shortly after the Nazis annexed Austria, Freud left Vienna for London with his wife and daughter Anna.
Freud had been diagnosed with cancer of the jaw in 1923, and underwent more than 30 operations. He died of cancer on 23 September 1939.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
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March 27, 2025Incredible how rich the fort/da play is. At once the (literal) play of absence/presence, mastery via said play, iterability as a necessity for that play, the tendential relation to death, and repetition as way of opening up of the primal absence (of the Mother).
V. dense and hard to keep up with all the changes through time, which is kinda accentuated by the Strachey translation (oh cathexis, how I hate you), but Id + Ego has some rly useful explanatory notes as a recap/overview of Freud's thought in 1923.
V. dense and hard to keep up with all the changes through time, which is kinda accentuated by the Strachey translation (oh cathexis, how I hate you), but Id + Ego has some rly useful explanatory notes as a recap/overview of Freud's thought in 1923.
October 8, 2018
"Mum's the word." – Id.
The mother of all psychoanalysts, the great progenitrix who had a bit too big a share of penetration for his own good, gave birth a glut of stimulating theorems. This metapsychological voyeur professed, with turgid disquisitions, that he caught a peek of something deeper in the ordinary intercourse of his fellow men than few of us could conceive (then and now). Upon his discovery, he beat the breast and ejaculated in triumph: "It is about the mother!" Thus this spunky chap's fertile relationship with the deeper recesses and crevices of the mental appen–apparatus came to be, and so he began to shoot out reams of tumescent essays to show the world the fruit of his mental loins.
It isn't difficult to be able to point out the tracts on which Freud's thoughts tend to move. He came up with his theory of the tripartite mind, the ubiquity of libido in everyday decision-making, and the self-centered image of Man, and he followed along those lines to the end. This is very admirable, because his theories are more philosophical than anything else – the actual evidence he had to show was, not to put a too fine point on it, negligible. But he had this theory, and he could find ways to corroborate it.
It would also be slightly unfair to criticise Freud for his ostensibly misguided conceptions (pun not intended, this time) about sexuality, narcissism, melancholia, homosexuality etc. One could simply say that he used the terms in a much more broader sense than these days is acceptable. Or that he simply used the wrong term, as in the case of melancholia (which seems to be more about depression for Freud).
What one could point out, however, is that Freud could be surprisingly stubborn about his theories, and one is simply baffled at some of his hypotheses (for example, the infamous Oedipus and castration complexes, and the sexual development tiers). How on Earth is one able to deduce something like that by observing a couple of moppets in the crib? Was Freud simply so mesmerised the one time he dared to go undressed into the sauna that his whole world-view took such a phallic shape that no aperture seemed natural anymore?
But hey, at least this is clearly influential stuff. The unconscious was a revelatory discovery, even if it may not be entirely true; ditto for the tripartite division of the mental apparatus. Not to mention the other fantastic inventions, such as free association, the whole shebang about giving the patient more room in the curing process. At least in theory - I'm sure Freud couldn't simply sit there without fidgeting and coming up with a premature, cock-sure diagnosis every once in a while.
The mother of all psychoanalysts, the great progenitrix who had a bit too big a share of penetration for his own good, gave birth a glut of stimulating theorems. This metapsychological voyeur professed, with turgid disquisitions, that he caught a peek of something deeper in the ordinary intercourse of his fellow men than few of us could conceive (then and now). Upon his discovery, he beat the breast and ejaculated in triumph: "It is about the mother!" Thus this spunky chap's fertile relationship with the deeper recesses and crevices of the mental appen–apparatus came to be, and so he began to shoot out reams of tumescent essays to show the world the fruit of his mental loins.
It isn't difficult to be able to point out the tracts on which Freud's thoughts tend to move. He came up with his theory of the tripartite mind, the ubiquity of libido in everyday decision-making, and the self-centered image of Man, and he followed along those lines to the end. This is very admirable, because his theories are more philosophical than anything else – the actual evidence he had to show was, not to put a too fine point on it, negligible. But he had this theory, and he could find ways to corroborate it.
It would also be slightly unfair to criticise Freud for his ostensibly misguided conceptions (pun not intended, this time) about sexuality, narcissism, melancholia, homosexuality etc. One could simply say that he used the terms in a much more broader sense than these days is acceptable. Or that he simply used the wrong term, as in the case of melancholia (which seems to be more about depression for Freud).
What one could point out, however, is that Freud could be surprisingly stubborn about his theories, and one is simply baffled at some of his hypotheses (for example, the infamous Oedipus and castration complexes, and the sexual development tiers). How on Earth is one able to deduce something like that by observing a couple of moppets in the crib? Was Freud simply so mesmerised the one time he dared to go undressed into the sauna that his whole world-view took such a phallic shape that no aperture seemed natural anymore?
But hey, at least this is clearly influential stuff. The unconscious was a revelatory discovery, even if it may not be entirely true; ditto for the tripartite division of the mental apparatus. Not to mention the other fantastic inventions, such as free association, the whole shebang about giving the patient more room in the curing process. At least in theory - I'm sure Freud couldn't simply sit there without fidgeting and coming up with a premature, cock-sure diagnosis every once in a while.
March 1, 2019
Requiere de dos lecturas como mínimo, esencial para comprender la teoría freudiana
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October 20, 2025Buku Metapsychology karya Sigmund Freud menjelaskan dasar teori psikoanalisis tentang bagaimana pikiran manusia bekerja melalui tiga sudut pandang utama: dinamis, topografis, dan ekonomis. Freud menyoroti peran dorongan naluriah, konflik batin, dan ketidaksadaran sebagai penggerak utama perilaku manusia. Dalam lima esainya, ia membahas tentang naluri dan perubahannya, mekanisme represi, struktur ketidaksadaran, teori mimpi, serta perbedaan antara berduka dan melankolia. Secara keseluruhan, buku ini menggambarkan bahwa kehidupan psikis manusia adalah sistem energi dinamis yang terus berjuang menyeimbangkan dorongan, represi, dan kesadaran.
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February 3, 2025من أصعب ما قرأت لفرويد حتى الآن، لا أنصح بقراءة هذا الكتاب إلا بعد الاطلاع الواسع على بعض الحالات السريرية التي شرحها فرويد.
ولكن وبالرغم من هذه الصعوبة إلا أن فرويد هنا وضّح الكثير من الأسس التي بنى عليها علم التحليل النفسي ولذلك فهي مهمة ولا يمكن أن يفهم فرويد تماماً إلا من قرأ هذه النصوص وبتمعّن.
الترجمة فيها بعض الأخطاء وقد تربك القارئ وهذا لا يتعارض مع امتناني الكبير للمترجم المفكر جورج طرابيشي الذي أتاح لي قراءة هذه النصوص بلغتي الأم.
ولكن وبالرغم من هذه الصعوبة إلا أن فرويد هنا وضّح الكثير من الأسس التي بنى عليها علم التحليل النفسي ولذلك فهي مهمة ولا يمكن أن يفهم فرويد تماماً إلا من قرأ هذه النصوص وبتمعّن.
الترجمة فيها بعض الأخطاء وقد تربك القارئ وهذا لا يتعارض مع امتناني الكبير للمترجم المفكر جورج طرابيشي الذي أتاح لي قراءة هذه النصوص بلغتي الأم.
September 25, 2024
J’avais besoin de lire ce livre pour préparer mon partiel. Très difficile à lire, même si on connaît déjà les termes employés. D’autant plus qu’il se contredit toutes les 3 phrases donc pour bien comprendre il faut relire 5 fois les phrases précédentes.
October 12, 2020
Interessant et enrichissant sur les nevroses et leur developpement
September 20, 2022
Knjiga koju sam prvi put pročitao 2001-ve,i od tada još najmanje pet puta...
November 3, 2025
Banbrytande för sin tid och kontroversiell som bara den. Men har mycket att ge än idag för att förstå mänsklig psykologi.
July 24, 2023
L'esploratore dell'inconscio: Freud e la sua Metapsicologia
"Metapsicologia" non è solo un libro, è una sorta di viaggio metafisico nell'inconscio. Freud ci guida come un abile speleologo attraverso le oscure grotte della psiche, sfidando le paure e le resistenze che tentano di ostacolare la nostra comprensione.
Per Freud, il rimosso non è l'unico abitante dell'inconscio. No, signore. L'inconscio è un regno vasto e complesso, popolato da desideri nascosti, traumi non risolti e aspetti di noi stessi che preferiremmo non vedere. È un luogo affascinante, se non un po' spaventoso.
Ma Freud è un buon compagno di viaggio. Nonostante l'argomento pesante, riesce a mantenere la chiarezza e a spiegare concetti complessi in termini accessibili. Con lui, la metapsicologia non sembra così inafferrabile.
"Metapsicologia" può essere una lettura impegnativa, è vero. Ci sono momenti in cui ho dovuto fermarmi e ripensare a ciò che avevo appena letto. Ma è anche incredibilmente gratificante. La profondità e l'ampiezza della visione di Freud della mente umana sono strabilianti.
Il libro offre una chiave preziosa per comprendere noi stessi e gli altri. Dopo averlo letto, mi sento come se avessi ottenuto un nuovo strumento per esplorare il mio io più profondo. È un'esperienza che non dimenticherò facilmente.
Il mio voto per "Metapsicologia" è un solido 4 su 5. È una lettura che richiede impegno e riflessione, ma se sei disposto a metterci il tempo e l'energia, ne vale la pena. E se mai ti sei chiesto perché fai quello che fai o pensi quello che pensi, potrebbe essere il libro giusto per te. Quindi prendi la tua torcia e unisciti a Freud in questo audace viaggio nell'inconscio. Buona lettura!
"Metapsicologia" non è solo un libro, è una sorta di viaggio metafisico nell'inconscio. Freud ci guida come un abile speleologo attraverso le oscure grotte della psiche, sfidando le paure e le resistenze che tentano di ostacolare la nostra comprensione.
Per Freud, il rimosso non è l'unico abitante dell'inconscio. No, signore. L'inconscio è un regno vasto e complesso, popolato da desideri nascosti, traumi non risolti e aspetti di noi stessi che preferiremmo non vedere. È un luogo affascinante, se non un po' spaventoso.
Ma Freud è un buon compagno di viaggio. Nonostante l'argomento pesante, riesce a mantenere la chiarezza e a spiegare concetti complessi in termini accessibili. Con lui, la metapsicologia non sembra così inafferrabile.
"Metapsicologia" può essere una lettura impegnativa, è vero. Ci sono momenti in cui ho dovuto fermarmi e ripensare a ciò che avevo appena letto. Ma è anche incredibilmente gratificante. La profondità e l'ampiezza della visione di Freud della mente umana sono strabilianti.
Il libro offre una chiave preziosa per comprendere noi stessi e gli altri. Dopo averlo letto, mi sento come se avessi ottenuto un nuovo strumento per esplorare il mio io più profondo. È un'esperienza che non dimenticherò facilmente.
Il mio voto per "Metapsicologia" è un solido 4 su 5. È una lettura che richiede impegno e riflessione, ma se sei disposto a metterci il tempo e l'energia, ne vale la pena. E se mai ti sei chiesto perché fai quello che fai o pensi quello che pensi, potrebbe essere il libro giusto per te. Quindi prendi la tua torcia e unisciti a Freud in questo audace viaggio nell'inconscio. Buona lettura!
October 1, 2024
Texte fondateur de Freud. Bien pour comprendre sa théorie mais assez dense, je pense qu’il mérite plusieurs lectures pour vraiment le comprendre.
Passage obligatoire si c’est ce qui nous intéresse.
Passage obligatoire si c’est ce qui nous intéresse.
November 9, 2019
This has to be a Classic for the psychology world. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis has been in use since the time of it's inception, and is widely regarded. This boo deal with the theories of psychoanalysis presented by Freud after careful research and experimentation, including dream interpreting, free association, and clinical work.
October 19, 2016
Mi sarei aspettato maggiore chiarezza in merito al perturbante.
Da una parte i miei dubbi sono notevolmente diminuiti, ma dall'altra, allo stesso tempo, sono rimasto un po' "a bocca asciutta", come se non avessi afferrato del tutto il senso del perturbante.
Da una parte i miei dubbi sono notevolmente diminuiti, ma dall'altra, allo stesso tempo, sono rimasto un po' "a bocca asciutta", come se non avessi afferrato del tutto il senso del perturbante.
November 16, 2024
Essentially explains why many of us repeat destructive behaviors over and over.
sig was ahead of his time.
i had to read it twice to fully understand the concept, The language is tough, however, it's a rewarding read if you can get your veins around it.
sig was ahead of his time.
i had to read it twice to fully understand the concept, The language is tough, however, it's a rewarding read if you can get your veins around it.
June 4, 2012
A brilliant book! Contains all the classic writings.
July 23, 2012
Interesting, gives psychoanalysis explanation to general stuff in our life
June 11, 2015
كتاب صعب الفهم، يحتاج لقراءات أخرى لكي تتعاضد لفهم مواضيع هذا الكتاب المعقّد.
June 6, 2016
Really handy volume of many of the key foundational texts of Freud's thought throughout its development.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews