Should Civilization Exist?

1481 Words6 Pages
Should Civilization Exist? When planning an ideal community or civilization, it is essential to take into the consideration the aspects of the community that will allow the citizens to thrive. If the citizens are progressing, the community as a whole will flourish as well. In addition, it is also crucial to explore the aspects of the community that could potentially be harmful to the citizens. If the productivity or well being of the individual citizens is in some way endangered, the citizens will ultimately hider the progression of the community as a whole. In his work entitled Civilization and Its Discontents, Sigmund Freud explores aspects that lead to the creation of a successful civilization. He also discusses the factors that make or break a civilization and how those factors can be promoted or avoided. In Civilization, Freud talks about how human beings are naturally born with strong instincts that influence and can even control the way humans live their lives. Included in these human indwelt instincts are two instincts that prevail as more controlling than all the others: the desire to be loved (Eros), and an inclination toward aggression in order to pursue this love. The desire for a human to be loved is extremely different from the desire for a human to love. Humans do not naturally desire to please others or love them because of their selfish nature. When discussing human nature, Freud concludes that humans are naturally anti-social and anti-communal. Humans naturally think about themselves first, and ultimately what will benefit the self the most is the most important. (Freud 70-71) Despite the fact that humans possess this primitive, solitary, selfish nature, the fact that they want to be loved and have sexual relations brings them together. Freud argues that at first, humans want to form a relationship with the opposite sex in order to have a
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