Cyriac Kottayarikil: Freud on Religion

Sigmund Freud on Religion and Morality: a Challenge to Christianity

The author has made a very exact analysis of Freud’s statements on religion and morality. He realizes how uncompromisingly the Great Atheist has fought against and thrown away everything that is compulsive and repressive. For Freud there was only one way to liberation: becoming aware of one’s own servitude. Certainly, he also had personal, so to speak, psycho-analytical reasons for his negative attitude towards a prohibitive religion. The author always tries to remain a fair commentator and wants to bring out the fundamental ethical values in Freud. In so doing, he comes to the conclusion that the Christian Agape is not far removed from the therapeutic Eros of Freud. The important thing is that he arrives at this conclusion always through the dialogical method and presents Freud to the reader from a completely legitimate view-point for further critical considerations and appraisals.
Igor A. Caruso

CONTENTS:

Foreword VIII

PART ONE
THE FREUDIAN CONCEPT OF RELIGION
Chapter One
FREQUENCY OF THE TERM RELIGION IN THE GW 8
Chapter Two
RELIGION AS PRESENTED IN THE WORKS OF FREUD 13
Chapter Three
A SYNTHESIS OF THE FREUDIAN CONCEPT OF RELIGION 31

PART TWO
THE FREUDIAN CONCEPT OF MORALITY
Chapter Four
USE OF THE TERM MORALITY IN THE GW 62
Chapter Five
THE REPRESSIVE MORAL CODE 69
Chapter Six
A SELF-EVIDENT MORALITY 91

PART THREE
METAPSYCHOLOGY
THE THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF THE FREUDIAN CONCEPTS OF RELIGION AND MORALITY
Chapter Seven
THE FREUDIAN THEORY OF MIND 102

PART FOUR
FREUD CONFRONTING RELIGION AND MORALITY – THE ETIOLOGY OF PESSIMISM
Chapter Eight
RELIGION AND MORALITY AS INTERTWINED PHENOMENA 155
Chapter Nine
FREUD ENCOUNTERING RELIGION AS A MORAL SYSTEM AND MORALITY AS A SACRALIZED INSTITUTION 181

PART FIVE
A CHRISTIAN ENCOUNTER OF THE FREUDIAN CONCEPTS OF RELIGION AND MORALITY
Chapter Ten
POINTS OF DISSENT WITH FREUD 217
Chapter Eleven
THE FREUDIAN PROTEST AS A CHALLENGE TO CHRISTIANITY 249
Chapter Twelve
TOWARDS A DIALOGAL SYNTHESIS 322

CONCLUSION 371
BIBLIOGRAPHY 378

Kottayarikil, Cyriac: Sigmund Freud on Religion and Morality: a Challenge to Christianity. Innsbruck: Resch, 1977 (Personation and Psychotherapy; 3), XX, 399 S. ISBN 978-3-85382-003-2, Brosch., vergriffen!