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A Freudian Critique of Big Government

A Freudian Critique of Big Government

The concept of a person without society or culture has been a fixation amongst humanity since at least the start of our written tradition. With the first emergence of civilization in the Mesopotamia valley came the character Enkidu of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the first recorded use of this “wild man” trope in our earliest surviving example of literature.

Aristotle, in determining how society impacts man, wrote of those who are unable to live in society needing to be either beasts or gods, due to our natural inability for complete satisfaction in isolation.

Again and again, from the fate of Nebuchadnezzar II in the Book of Daniel to Golding’s fictional schoolboys descending into savagery in Lord of the Flies, this fear of a return to a primitive state resonates amongst humanity like a trauma dream.

Modern Political Implications

Due to this innate insecurity, our tendency towards collectivism as opposed to individualism is better understood. More pointedly to the discussion of modern political movements, the imagining of a complete inverse of the natural world is a relatively modern advent.

In the 20th century, a time when the world’s population exploded from 1.65 billion to 6 billion, we saw the re-conceptualization of government play out across the globe. During the rise of mass media and state-enforced collectivism, authors like Orwell and Huxley saw this expansion as the antithesis to man’s natural state – and foresaw the internal tensions created by increased linkages of society.

A Psychoanalytic expectation for the future

If 1984 and Brave New World are the nightmares stemming from the 20th century, what would Freud expect to see in the 21st century regarding this topic?

Caught in between the primal drives associated with all creatures in their natural state and the desire to remain in society, humanity as described by Freud is driven to neuroses, unhappiness, and malaise by the suppressive functions of society.

Contrasting man’s state in nature, whenever the inhibitions become too strong, or the suppressed aggressive impulses pile up, organized explosion becomes inevitable. Freud saw this non-reproduction linked aggression as “a period of general unleashing of man’s animal nature.

Researchers who refer to problematic cultures or problematic influences online have failed in their attempts to specify. All cultures, be they familiar or alien, cause a degree of stress on the individual psyche. From this psychoanalytic perspective, we would expect to see increased levels of dissatisfaction as populations grow and expand into increasingly complex pluralities. We would also expect to see a rise in what could be considered non-reproductive aggression – such as sadistic acts, self-harming, and mass shootings.

Paired with population growth, the internet further expands society’s suppressive functions, unceasingly linking an individual to the general culture. If our theory of suppressed aggressive impulses is correct, we would see a connection between usage time and violent acts.

Consequently, recent years have shown us numerous studies indicating that internet addiction predicted aggression in adolescents, irrespective of whether clinical factors were considered. An additional study found that “adolescents with (i)nternet addiction were more likely to demonstrate aggressive behavior and that various factors, including computer-mediated social interaction, exposure to media violence, and entering a deindividuated state during Internet activities, may be involved in the association between Internet addiction and aggressive behavior.”

Conclusion

The ever-increasing demands, ubiquity, and complexity of our modern society intrude upon the individual, creating a constant psychic tension that leads to unfavorable behaviors. As we continue to progress towards this overexposure to culture, the behaviors humanity has historically referred to as evil will be the exhaust gas billowing over our population during the futile experiment.

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6 Comments

  1. Roberet6391

    It is a fact that everyone has an opinion, and that is exactly what this is in every aspect of society and life. In every society or tribe or concave, there has to be rules and regulations both written or unwritten, which holds everyone together, even in the animal kingdom there are rules which have to be followed or a price to be payed.
    As the so called educated species that human are suppose to be, then it seems like we by this time in our evolution there should have been more humanity involved in our decisions, instead of constant condemnation of others who are not like us in different ways.

  2. Ben

    The internet covers the entire world ( more/less) and yet the vast amount of Countries have little if any violent crime or mass shooting.
    Maybe it’s time to reevaluate how we do things.

    • Dan Tyree

      Ben you seem to have the answers. What do you suggest? Gun grabbing. Care should be taken. Many of the barrels will be hot. People aren’t buying all of the guns to give them to the government. I’m in a position to know. Plans are being laid to resist resist and resist. Don’t doubt me. I know that retard joe said something about missiles but he’s welcome to bring it on. As people said during the Cold War days, “ better dead than red “

      • Ben

        Dan, if you don’t like the United States, leave.

        I don’t have all the answers, I’m just a humble public servant. But I am smart enough to know that your gun collection isn’t going to do you much good when it comes to fighting the Government. The fact that you seem to be rooting for a civil war is very concerning. Maybe you should talk to your doctor about some meds to help you get over this anxiety you are feeling. All your anger about becoming inconsequential in our society is manifesting itself in unhealthy ways.
        It’s only a matter of time until old conservative whites, like you are such a minority that you will be powerless to stop the change that is inevitable. Open minded people everywhere are going to the polls and no amount of guns is going to keep them from exercising their Constitutional rights. Change,.. it’s a coming!

        • Dan Tyree

          I’m not rooting for a civil war you fool. I just want to be left alone. And I’ve fought the government before. And I’m still standing. I love our country and I have more right to be here than the werbacks illegality crossing our borders

          • Ben

            Dan, who is not leaving you alone?
            Because nobody is bothering me. You must be doing it wrong.