Beyond the Pleasure Principle

Explore a piece of literature, historical moment, or work of art in relation to the concepts of Thanatos and Eros. How do the death drive and life drive contribute to your understanding? How might the theory be applied to understanding global conflict and war?

How has the concept of the death drive influenced later thinkers, like Jacques Lacan and Gilles Deleuze? How have these thinkers and others extended and criticized Freud’s theories?

How does Beyond the Pleasure Principle reflect Freud’s relationship and subsequent split from psychanalyst Carl Gustav Jung? How are his theories reflective of Jung’s criticisms?

How might Freud’s work with the compulsion to repeat be understood in a modern context? Are there any parallels between Freud’s theory and contemporary findings in neuroscience and trauma research?

Consider Freud’s work through a biographical lens. How might his theory of the death drive reflect what was happening in his personal life? Can Freud’s ideologies be traced alongside his personal experiences?

Are there connections between Freud’s work and contemporary therapeutic techniques? For example, how does the concept of the reality principle relate to cognitive-behavioral therapy?

Explore Freud’s concept of Eros in literature and the arts. How does the concept relate to creativity and innovation? Provide examples of moments in literature and the arts when Eros might be represented.

How can Freud’s work be examined through a feminist critique? How might his concepts reflect a larger pattern of patriarchal values and bias?