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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Thanatos.

              
Mary Beth- 

        The weather was beautiful this past weekend, and therefore, my boyfriend and I decided to take his camera and go for a walk. Ever since he purchased his Canon Rebel XSi, picture taking has become a hobby of ours. We chose a path filled with eye-catching foliage, in deep reds, oranges and yellows. After walking for ten minutes or so, we stumbled upon a bridge overlooking what seemed to be a small river. We had fun being creative and taking turns snapping photos around the bridge. Yet, it was not until I returned home and reviewed the pictures, that I made an interesting discovery. The daring nature of the photos we took while at the bridge resembled what Freud referred to as "the death instinct" in his book, Beyond the Pleasure Principle.
Freud theorized that "the goal of all life is death" (p. 63-64). Thus, he believed that people have an instinctual wish to die, yet, are held back by life instincts. Life instincts include, but are not limited to, sexual instincts, that aid in reproduction and the creation of a biological legacy. Although, it is interesting to consider that sexual instincts and death instincts may cross paths in certain circumstances. For instance, in reference to the masochism described in Bergner's The Other Side of Desire. The connection between pain and pleasure, even to the point of impending death, gives evidence that Freud was not so far off when he introduced "Thanatos" to psychoanalysis. 
The death instinct is also something that is frowned upon in society, which is largely due to religion. Most religious doctrines state that the intentional taking of one’s life (suicide) is viewed as a mortal sin. Thus, committing daring acts that could result in one’s death are taken very seriously and frowned upon. The pictures my boyfriend and I took this weekend are examples of such. Therefore, the death instinct can be viewed an an instinct that is subject to repression.


 

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