freud

• what is the conscience described as?

  the inner conviction that something is right or wrong (it's personal, internal and intuitive)
• what is guilt/shame?

  the feeling of having a "bad conscience" after behaving in the wrong way
• what is super-ego?

  the part of the unconscious mind that controls us, producing feelings of guilt/remorse
• what is eros?

  the part of the unconscious mind that gives us life instinct/desire for sexual gratification
• what is thanatos?

  the instinct for aggression, violence and death
• what does Freud comment on?

  conscience as the internalised voice of authority figures, it's experienced as guilt
• what does Freud believe that the conscience is an aspect of?

  the super-ego
• Freud distinguished between 3 elements in the mind, what are these?

  the id, the ego, and the super-ego
• what is the id?

  the unconscious and instinctive part of the personality, containing the eros and thanatos
• what is the ego?

  the rational self, helping us to process the desires of the id
• what is the super-ego?

  the controlling, restraining self, it acts as an "inner-parent" and gives moral commands
• on Freud's account then, what is conscience?

  an aspect of the operation of the super-ego
• what does Freud mean by describing conscience as an aspect of the operation of the super-ego?

  that the rules and regulations given to us by authority figures (e.g. parents), are internalised
• when we do not follow these rules and regulations, that are internalised, what happens?

  we feel guilt
• so conscience is therefore...?

  the repository of our parents commands to us during childhood - it's manifested through the feeling of guilt when we don't follow internalised rules from our upbringing
• conscience is the...?

  functional part of the super-ego, the part that judges and threatens with punishment
• Freud stresses that...?

  the super-ego is the internalisation of external parental authority
• once internalised...?

  this new, psychical agency continues to carry on the functions which were once performed by the parents
• for Freud, what does the super-ego remain as?

  an unconscious force, shaping our adult lives
• (s) what does Freud's understanding give us insight into?

  the origins of guilt, a powerful feeling that many people experience in their daily lives
• (s) what does Freud's understanding also take into account?

  the social influence on our conscience
• (s) what does Freud's understanding provide?

  an explanation for the conscience that doesn't depend on God
• (w) what is the problem with Freud's view?

  it reduces the conscience to a need for conformity to parental expectations
• (w) what does Freud's view do?

  reduces the value of the conscience
• (w) is this...?

  really all the conscience amounts to?
• what view of the conscience is freud?

  psychological