Classical Studies 2200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Sigmund Freud, Incest, Psychoanalysis

• School: Western University
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: Classical Studies 2200
• Professor: Aara Suksi

Document Summary

The myth of oedipus engages with 2 fundamental and universal taboos: parricide: killing your father an obliteration of one"s origin, incest with one"s mother a crime against time, a confusion of cause and effect. Oedipus is fated to commit both parricide and incest. He becomes stained with pollution and is considered an abomination. Oedipus has a speci c, yet human drive to know about himself this is in con ict with his horror of the truth. There is a tragic dimension to this drive toward knowledge. Philosophers strive to understand the truth about the world and about the nature of knowledge itself, including its limitations. (ie. plato"s dialogues, socrates, an early hero of philosophy, used logical argumentation to challenge accepted truths, and this caused discomfort) The delphic oracle was said to have proclaimed socrates as the wisest person. Socrates said that the only thing that he knew was that he knew nothing.