Freud and Bataille Essay - 1462 Words

Sigmund Freud, Civilization and its Discontents (1930) * Georges Bataille, â€Å"The Pineal Eye† (1927-1930) First Paper Due: What is Freud’s central thesis in Civilization and Its Discontents? What evidence does he use to support his argument? How might Bataille’s work confirm or refute Freud’s central argument(s) in Civilization and Its Discontents? Using Freud’s book as a methodological tool, analyze and interpret Bataille’s writing—what does it demonstrate or suggest about the fate of the psyche in the modern world? In one respect, there is no difference in Sigmund Freud’s â€Å"Civilization and Its Discontents† (1929), and in Georges Bataille’s â€Å"The Pineal Eye† (1927-1930) in that both authors display interest in the disciplines of†¦show more content†¦He presents many examples throughout his essay demonstrating how â€Å"things can cause a disturbance to oneself. For instance he writes: â€Å"I can at any rate listen without taking umbrage to those critics who aver that when one surveys the aims of civilization and the means it employs, one is bound to conclude that the whole thing is not worth the effort and that in the end it can only produce a state of things which no individual will be able to bear† (pgs. 39-40). This is a far cry from Bataille’s â€Å"The Pineal Eye† in that Bataille uses mythology as a basis to discipline the mind verses reason verses form rather than a scientific method. Bataille rebels against science for its advancement where Freud welcomes science with open arms. In this coming statement made by Bataille, it appears that he is mocking Freud (a doctor of science) for replacing mythology with scientific methods: â€Å"Science, proceeding on the basis of a mystical conception of the universe, has separated the constituent elements of the universe into two profoundly distinct classes: it has elaborated, through assimilation, the necessary and practical parts, transforming a mental activity, which previously was only an instrument of exploitation, into an activity useful for man’sShow MoreRelatedSurrealism, And A New Mode Of Pure Expression1562 Words   |  7 Pagescolleague Philippe Soupault in homage to Guillaume Apollinaire, someone whom they believed had followed the discipline, and he explains the phenomenon in detail so that more can become aware and utilize the technique. Drawing heavy influences from Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx, Breto n reveals to us the limitless opportunities of surrealism and how it frees us from everyday reality, similar to how the exoteric texts challenged us to question our beliefs. I The first â€Å"Manifesto of Surrealism† was published inRead MoreRepresentation of Death through Texts1149 Words   |  5 PagesGoodwin, Sarah. Eds. (1993) Death and Representation. The John Hopkins University Press. Bronthen, Elisabeth. (1992) Over her Dead Body: Death, Femininity and the aesthetic. Manchester University Press. Freud, Sigmund. ‘The Uncanny.’ The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Ed. James Strachey, et al. Vol. 17. London: Hogarth Press, 1955. Gottlieb, Evan. (2013) ‘Zombie Babies and Frankenstein: Why Pop Culture Still Hesitates to Depict Undead Kids’ Huffington Post [online]Read MoreCleanth Brookss Essay Irony as a Principle of Structure9125 Words   |  37 Pageshave been comfortable simply interpreting literature rather than writing explicitly about methodology and philosophical presumptions.[edit] Key 20th-century texts * Benedetto Croce: Aesthetic * A. C. Bradley: Poetry for Poetrys Sake * Sigmund Freud: Creative Writers and Daydreaming * Ferdinand de Saussure: Course in General Linguistics * Claude Là ©vi-Strauss: The Structural Study of Myth * T. E. Hulme: Romanticism and Classicism; Bergsons Theory of Art * Walter Benjamin: On Language as