The Discontents: The Oppression Of Civilization

During times of war, civilization has suppressed the desires of individuals for the greater good of their respective nations. In World War I (WWI), countries, especially the belligerent ones, aimed to maintain the stability of their war efforts and communities through practices of surveillance, censorship, and severe capital punishments. But in doing so, the freedoms of individual citizens were restricted. After the end of the war, in vanquished Germany, the severity of these limitations was only magnified, and a feeling of malaise was inflicted upon the general populace by the taxing demands of the Treaty of Versailles. According to Freud in his book Civilization and Its Discontents, such restriction of one's freedom, of one's aggressive instincts,
In order to achieve pleasure and avoid pain, one must satisfy their instincts, thus explaining their propensity toward sexual and violent acts. Though essential to the individual, such self-centered activity is harmful at the community level. If every person were to do as he or she wished, there would be no collaboration or unifying forces, and civilization would dissolve (Freud 69). Worse yet, violence will become a widespread norm, and the world would revert to a primitive state. To prevent such disasters from occurring, civilization must maintain order by suppressing the selfish will of individuals, and it must do so to the best of its abilities. It is for this very reason that Freud concludes, “…hence too the ideal's commandment to love one's neighbour as oneself -- a commandment which is really justified by the fact that nothing else runs so strongly counter to the original nature of man” (Freud 70). In this moral command, civilization aims to counter human lust and aggression by redirecting it towards positive ends. By encouraging individuals to care for one another, their potential destructive energy is instead used to form communities, and therefore support the goals of civilization. When one uses all their energy towards love, they will have none left for self-centered activities, and none left for hate
As Freud expands upon the struggle between instinctual urges and civilization, it becomes apparent that this threat originates from the slow but steady rise of autonomy in individuals. When individuals attempt to satisfy their instincts, civilization acts in opposition by encouraging them to work for the greater good of the community and not for selfish gains. However, when civilization attempts to suppress them, individuals act in defiance, creating a perpetual stalemate. The logical result would then be a compromise between the conflicting sides, but there are more factors to consider. In society, "...the development of the individual seems to us to be a product of the interaction between two urges, the urge towards happiness, which we usually call 'egoistic', and the urge towards communion with others in the community, which we call 'altruistic'" (Freud 105). The egoistic element is what civilization wishes to repress, while the altruistic is what it wishes to promote, through means such as the commandment of loving one’s neighbor. Though societies may educate individuals or coerce them into practicing utilitarian actions and beliefs, the power of choice ultimately lies in the hands of the individual. This suggests the possibility of humans to