Sigmund Freud, Cultural Critic

A First-Year Tutorial offered fall 2021, taught by Dan Reynolds, professor of German studies

The controversial founder of psychoanalysis left an indelible mark on the 20th century, and his legacy continues to shape common conceptions of what it means to be a human being. While many of Freud’s ideas about individual psychotherapy have fallen out of favor, we continue to encounter Freud’s impact on our understanding of the human mind in how we interpret cultural phenomena, creative works, religion, one another, and yes, ourselves. In this tutorial, we explore Freud’s lasting contributions in his role as a critic of Western culture by reading and reflecting on some of his most influential essays (Freud was a brilliant writer!): The Interpretation of Dreams, “The Ego and the Id,” “The Uncanny,” “The Future of an Illusion,” and “Civilization and its Discontents.” We will not shy away from Freud’s blind spots, especially his racism and sexism, which seem to stand in such contradiction to his efforts to expose the antisemitism he experienced and the sexual hypocrisy he observed. Through informed discussion, focused writing exercises, guided research, and class presentations, we will work together to understand Freud in the context of his time and place, while also turning an analytical gaze onto this exemplary critic.