Essential Freud

Freud has changed our whole manner of looking at ourselves, our relations with others and our conceptions of culture, society and behaviour. He has been described, rightly or wrongly, as the father of feminism, a revolutionary thinker on a par with Karl Marx, a social and sexual reactionary, a genius and a crank. "Essential Freud" is an introduction to the topics that most crucially characterize the contribution Freud's thinking has made, not just to psychology, but to our entire view of the world. Assuming no prior knowledge Dr Badcock provides a full treatment of Freudian psychoanalysis and its critics. In this second edition of "Essential Freud" Christopher Badcock has brought to bear new insights from recent developments in evolutionary science. His new material includes an analysis of data relative to his interpretation of Freud's findings on incest. A new section reveals the biological reality that may lie behind the controversial death wish theory. Much of the remaining material from the first edition has been extensively revised and rewritten, so that the book presents a cohesive account of Freud's thinking in the light of modern evolutionary theory.