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Harry M. Tiebout, Jr.
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PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOANALYSIS
Theories of Human Nature and Conduct in Freud’s Psychology
Harry M„ Tiebout, Jr,
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the require
ments for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in
the Faculty of Philosophy, Columbia University*
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C 0 N T E N T S
Preface <----- p. ii
Bibliography ------------------------------------------ p. iii
Chapter One: Introduction --- — - p. 1
Chapter Two: The Background of Freud’s Thought - - - - - - - p, 23
Chapter Three: Neurosis and Human Nature p* 4-7
Chapter Four: Neurosis and Human Nature (continued) - -- -- p, 89
Chapter Five: Man, Society, and Religion ------ - - - - p , 146
Chapter Six: Man, Society, and Religion (continued) - - - - - p* 175
Chapter Seven: Conclusion -p. 214
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P R E F A C E
This dissertation is part of a larger work dealing with the philo
sophical implications of Freudian and Post-Freudian psychology. The larger
work shews quite clearly that the development of Freud’s thought, as traced
in the. present dissertation, is by no means an isolated bit of intellectual
biography. On the contrary, the evolution of Freud’s thinking is mirrored
(or at least reflected) in the general evolution of Freudian and Post-Freudian
thought. Moreover, the conclusions which we draw in this dissertation about
the outcome of Freud*s enterprise are by no means relevant only to Freud,
On the contrary, they apply (indeed, in most cases a fortiori) to the out
come of psychoanalytic and post-psychoanalytic thinking generally. The reader
who is acquainted with the developments in psychoanalysis since the death of
Freud will, I think, perceive these facts quite clearly. Such a reader will
also see how greatly we have had the benefit of hindsight in interpreting
Freud, At the present time (1951), many things about the direction of Freud *s
thought are obvious which were not at all obvious during the thirties.
The reader, presumably, has a right to know something about the gen
eral intellectual outlook of the author. In my philosophical and theological
thinking, I have been deeply influenced by Paul Tillich. I might even be
classified a Tillichian — except for one reservation, I think it is pos
sible to be a Protestant (in Professor Tillich’s sense) without being a
Christian, At any rate, the general Tillichian outlook pervades this essay.
But, conversely, this dissertation is, in my judgment, a partial confirmation
of Professor Tillich’s general position. In my own case, inquiry into psycho
analysis was prior to my adherence to the Tillichian outlook. I had been
searching for a key to Freud’s thought for several years before I became
acquainted with Professor Tillich’s philosophical theology.
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iii
In my psychological thinking, I have been deeply influenced by the
thought of Otto Rank* The informed reader will have no difficulty in dis
covering where I follow Rank in my interpretation of Freud* I have also
been greatly influenced by Carl Jung, and by my father, Harry M. Tiebout,
whose thinking contains both Rankian and Jungian concepts*
I should like at this point to acknowledge my indebtednesst first, to
ray father, who read and discussed with me the various drafts of this essay
and whose wealth of clinical information was an indispensible supplement
to my own information} secondly, to Professor Horace L, Friess, who also
read and discussed with me the various drafts of this essayj thirdly, to
Professors James Gutmann, Otto Klineberg, Charles Frankel, Paul Tillich,
Abram Kardiner, and Dr, Kurt Goldstein, who read a late draft of the essay*
All the above mentioned persons have made valuable suggestions for improv
ing the essay. Finally, I should like to acknowledge my indebtedness to
my wife, Lee Tiebout, who typed the manuscript and whose encouragement
and suggestions were invaluable.
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iv
Abraham, Karl: Selected Papers. Edited by Ernest Jones. London: Hogarth
Press, 1929*
Alexander, Franz: Fundamentals of Psychoanalysis. Hew York: Norton, 19AS.
Alexander, Franz and Itench, Thomas: Pflyoboanalyt^a Therapy. New York:
Ronald Press, 194-6.
Bernfeld, Siegfried: "Freud’s Earliest Theories and the School of Helmholtz,"
Psychoanalytic Quarterly, Vol. 13, 1944, pp. 341-362.
Brown, J. F,: The Psvnhodvnftm-jof Abnormal Behavior (with the collabora
tion of Karl Menninger).New York: McGraw-Hill, 1940.
Brown, J. Warburton: "Psychoanalysis and Design in the Plastic Arts," Inter
national Journal of Psychoanalysis. Vol. 10, 1929, pp. 5-28.
Bury, J. B.: The Idea of Progress. London: Macmillan, 1924.
Fenichel, Otto: "Outline of Clinical Psychoanalysis," Psvchoanalytic Quarter-
3a, Vol. 1, 1932.
------— : The Psychoanalytic Theory of Neurosis. New York: Norton, 1945.
Ferenczi, Sandor: Further Contributions to the ^heorv and Technique of
Psychoanalysis.London: Hogarth Press, 1927,
Ferenczi, Sandor, and Rank, Otto: The Development of Psychoanalysis. New
York: Nervous and Mental Disease Publishing Company, 1925.
Freud, Sigmund: "Analysis Terminable and Interminable," International Journal
of Psychoanalysis. Vol. 18, 1937, pp. 373-405.
-----— : An Autobiographical Study. London: Hogarth Press, 1935.
-------— : Beyond the Pleasure Principle. London: Hogarth Press, 1922.
---— — : Civilization and Its Discontents. London: Hogarth Press, 1930.
---------• Collected Papers, Volumes I - IF. London: Hogarth Press, 1924,
1925.
— The Ego and The Id. London: Hogarth Press, 1927.
-------— : The Future of an Illusion. London: Hogarth Press, 1928.
: :A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis. Garden City: Garden
City Publishing Company, 1943.
---------: Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego. London: Hogarth
Press, 1922.
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Freud, Sigmund: "History of the Psychoanalytic Movement," The Basic Writ
ings of Sipmund Freud. Edited by A. A, Brill. New York: Random
House, 1938.
___— -:"The Interpretation of Dreams," Basic Writings of Freud. New
York: Random House, 1938*
— — — : Leonardo da Vinci: A Psycho-sexual Study of an Infantile
Raminisence. New York, 1916.
---— : Moses and Monotheism. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1939.
----- : New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis. London: Hogarth
Press, 1933.
— ---— : "An Outline of Psychoanalysis," International Journal of Psycho
analysis, Vol. 21, 194-0, pp. 27-84.
— — -— -: The Problem of Anxiety. New York: Norton, 1936.
— --------: "The Psychopathology of Everyday Life," Basic Writings of
Sigmund Freud. New York: Random House, 1938.
--— — — : "Totem and Taboo," Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud. New York:
Random House, 1938.
« “Three Contributions to the Theory of Sex," Basic Writings of
Sigmund Freud. New York: Random House, 1938.
i
Freud, Sigmund and Breuer, Joseph, Studies in Hysteria. New York: Nervous
and Mental Disease Publishing Company, 1936.
Glover, Edward: "Grades of Ego-Differentiation," International Journal of
Psychoanalysis. Vol. 11, 1930, pp. 1-H. «
— — --- : "Sublimation, Substitution, and Social Anxiety," International
Journal of Psychoanalysis. Vol. 12, 1931, pp. 263-297.
Goldstein, Kurt: Human Nature: In the Light of Psychopathology. Cambridge:
Harvard University Press, 1940.
Hendrick, Ives: Facts and Theories of Psychoanalysis. New York: Alfred
Knopf, 1934.
Horney, Karen: New Ways in Psychoanalysis. New York: Norton, 1939.
Jones, Ernest, Papers on Psychoanalysis. Fourth Edition. London: Balliere,
Tindall, and Cox, 1938.
--------"Psychoanalysis and the Psychology of Religion," Psychoanalysis
Today. Edited by Sandor Lorand. London: Allen and Unwin, 1933.
Knight, Robert P.: "The Relationship of Psychoanalysis to Psychiatry,"
American Journal of Psychiatry. Vol. 101, pp. 777-782.
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vi
Langer, Suzanne K.: Philosophy In A New Key, Cambridge: Harvard University
Press, 1942.
Menninger, Karl: Love Against Hate, New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1942,
— : Man Against Himself, New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1938©
Nygren, Anders: Agape and Eros. Part II: The History of the Christian Idea
of Lovef Vol. II* London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,
1938*
Puner, Helen Walker: Freud. His Life and His Mind, Howell, Soskin, 194-7*
Bank, Otto: Truth and Reality. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1936.
Reik, Theodor: From Thirty Years With Freud. New York: Farrar and Rhine-
hart, 1940*
Randall, John Herman: The Making of the Modern Mind, Revised edition.
New York: Houghton, Mifflin, 194-0.
Randall, Buchler, and Shirk: Readings in Philosophy. New York: Barnes and
Noble, 1946.
Roheim, Geza: The Origin and Function of Culture. New York: Nervous and
Mental Disease Publishing Company, 1943*
Sterba, Richard: Introduction to the Psychoanalytic Theory of the Libido.
New York: Nervous and Mental Disease Publishing Company, 1942*
Tillich, Paul: The Protestant Era. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
1948.
--— Systematic Theology, Vol. I. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1951.
Van Teslaar, James S.: lfThe Significance of Psychoanalysis in the History
of Science,” international Journal o£ Psychoanalysis, Vol. 3, 1921,
pp. 339-353©
Wittels, Fritz: Freud: Ha Personality, Sis Teaching, aM SLs School.
New York: Dodd, Mean, 1924.
Wortis, Joseph: "Freudianism and the Psychiatric Tradition,” American Journal
of Psychiatry. Vol. 101, pp. 814-820.
Zilboorg, Gregory: A History of Medical Psychology. New York: Norton, 1941©
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C H A P T E R ONE: I N T R O D U C T I 0 N
What is man? And what is his destiny? These are perennial ques
tions* Pram almost the beginning of history man has sought to know what
he is and what his role in the scheme of things might be* In the past
this theme has been treated by poets, prophets, theologians, and phil
osophers* In the twentieth century this theme was taken up by a man who,
in his own mind at least, was neither a poet nor a philosopher, certain
ly not a theologian, and only in a broad sense a 'prophet.* This man,
rather, considered himself to be a scientist, in fact, the founder of a
new science: psychoanalysis* The man, of course, was Sigmund Freud*
This present essay is an examination of the treatment of the theme Of
human nature and destiny in the thought of Sigmund Freud* And having
thus announced our theme, we must now state what we mean by "human na
ture and destiny" and must indicate what relevance Freud*s thought has
to this august theme*
Human Nature and Destiny
It is pretty obvious that what actually exists, in any concrete
sense, is not Man or Human Nature, but individual men* And these in
dividual men differ enormously, depending upon heredity, environment,
and what not* Furthermore, these individuals are not confronted with a
simple Destiny* Each has his own particular problems, arising out of
specific situations, and each must find his own particular solutions*
Yet, it is equally obvious that all men share certain common character
istics, possess a common human nature, a common "humanity" which makes
them human beings, and that all men share a common lot, a common fate
imposed by the very conditions of existence itself* In short, the
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2
particular the general, the individual and the universal, are inseparably
united* But in. an investigation of human existence, we may emphasize the
one rather than the other* We may concern ourselves with the unique traits
and unique problems of individuals within a single culture, with the specific
traits and problems of groups of individuals, or finally, with the common
"human" traits common "human" problems of all men* It is the last sort
of enterprise that we are concerned with, and our subject in this essay is
the universal human traits and problems of men*
Freud*8 Thought—
By Freud18 thought, we mean the set of ideas exhibited in the bulk of
those of Freud’s writings which appeared after 1893* This set of ideas, of
course, constitutes Freud's doctrine of psychoanalysis* Thus, to a large
extent the subject of this essay is psychoanalysis and the nature of man*
Yet, a simple identification of Freud’s thought with psychoanalysis cannot
be made for two reasons* First, the term "psychoanalysis" includes more
then Freud’s thought. If the term "psychoanalysis" be used in the wide sense,
as is customary in English-speaking countries, then psychoanalysis includes
the thought of men who, though indebted to Freud, disagree with him on many
issues* And even if the term "psychoanalysis" be used in the narrow sense,
as was customary on the Continent before World War II, to refer only to
Freudian psychoanalysis, still psychoanalysis includes the work of Freud’s
followers* Now the differences between Freud and his followers are for the
most part minor* But there is one point at which appears a major difference
between Freud and some of his followers* This point brings us to our second
reason for not equating Freud’s thought and psychoanalysis*
According to many of Freud’s followers and according to many outside
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