Beyond the Pleasure Principle

“The course of those events is invariably set in motion by an unpleasurable tension, and that it takes a direction such that its final outcome coincides with a lowering of that tension.”

Central to the theme The Moderation of Pleasure and Reality is the idea that the psyche is in a constant drive toward equilibrium. In this section, Freud asserts that the tension between pleasure and unpleasure is part of maintaining this balance.

“The impressions that underlie the hypothesis of the pleasure principle are so obvious that they can scarcely be overlooked.”

Freud opens his rhetorical argument with a confident assertion of his own theory. He argues that the pleasure principle is an unmitigated fact that has been proven repeatedly through clinical observation. This bold claim stands in opposition to how Freud’s emphasis on libido and pleasure-seeking was viewed by some of his closest contemporaries at the time.

“It must be pointed out, however, that strictly speaking it is incorrect to talk of the dominance of the pleasure principle over the course of mental processes.”

Here, Freud diverges from his previous work by shifting away from a singular focus on the pleasure principle. This hints at his later development of the theme of The Compulsion for Life and Death, which explores how both instincts for creation and destruction motivate human behavior.