Psyche

In The Ego and the Id, Sigmund Freud uses the analogy of a horse and rider to illustrate the relationship between the ego and the id, emphasizing that we may have less control over the unconscious than we’d like to believe. Yet, a decade later in New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, Freud introduces the psychoanalytic motto: “Where id was, there ego shall be,” hinting at the possibility of greater agency than he originally proposed. This tension—between the limits of our control and the hope for transformation—has always intrigued me. In this episode, I explore that dynamic by sharing a few key quotes from Freud, and one from Mari Ruti that I believe sheds meaningful light on this enduring paradox.

I speak to William B. Parsons about his book Freud and Religion: Advancing the Dialogue.

I speak with Richard Boothby about Freud's unsettling discovery of the death drive in "Beyond The Pleasure Principle."

I speak with Lacanian psychoanalyst Jason Childs about Sigmund Freud's “Some remarks on a Case of Obsessional Neurosis," aka the "Rat Man".

I speak to my friend Barry Taylor about Aaron Schuster's book The Trouble with Pleasure: Deleuze and Psychoanalysis .

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Phuc Luu to discuss his idea for a book titled In Their Image, which explores how conservative evangelicals and reactionary atheists are often two sides of the same coin. We also dive into recent books that argue against empathy, unpacking their critiques and implications.

Luke and I discuss Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling.

Fun conversation with Barry Taylor about Sigmund Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents.

A few reflections on Albert Camus' Myth of Sisyphus. A few connections to Todd McGowan's reading of Hegel, Freud's tragic view of happiness and the book of Ecclesiastes.

I speak to Todd McGowan about Sigmund Freud's book Civilization and Its Discontents.