Freud and Marx: Unveiling the Human Psyche and Society

Freud: Exploring the Unconscious Mind

Freud, the discoverer of psychoanalysis, introduced a new way to understand the processes of the mind, opening the door to another dimension of human beings. He sought to uncover the hidden, irrational, and unconscious instincts that govern our minds. According to Freud, we all harbor desires that drive our personality, but we cannot consciously accept them due to societal constraints, education, and our own will. These desires are deliberately kept in the unconscious, repressed, but remain active, constantly seeking release.

Freud conceived of mental life as a battlefield between two innate instincts that govern human behavior: the death instinct (Thanatos), whose goal is the return to non-living matter, the dissolution of life, and the life instinct or sexual instinct (Eros), which tends to reproduction and the maintenance of life.

Marx: Analyzing Society and Human Development

Marx analyzed the societal model that emerged from the Industrial Revolution, characterized by great inequalities and inhumane working conditions, and its influence on humans. He concluded that the social and economic system shapes human development. For Marx, humans are active and dynamic, constantly evolving. We are not static beings but are in constant development, building history and ourselves through change.

This transformation occurs through work, which provides a wage but, more importantly, allows us to perform as individuals and interact with others. Work is the highest human activity, uniting theory and practice, thought and action, distinguishing us from animals. In an ideal job, we project our personality, effort, time, and creativity onto the products we create. These works are ours, from planning to completion. However, Marx argued that the product of the worker belongs not to them but to the owner of the means of production, including the worker themselves. This leads to the alienation of the person: the product of their work is separated from them. The product becomes foreign, and the more they produce, the richer the owner of the means of production becomes. Consequently, the product becomes an enemy when it should be a symbol of personal fulfillment.