‘Aeon’ essay by 91´«Ã½ Professor David Livingstone Smith shines light on Freud as a philosopher
An essay by David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, was published on August 10 in the digital magazine Aeon, a publication about ideas, philosophy and culture.
Smith’s essay, “Freud the philosopher,†discusses the writings of Sigmund Freud, who, according to Smith, is often and inaccurately regarded as a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Smith makes the argument that Freud was, in fact, a philosopher. “It’s impossible to really understand Freudian theory without coming to grips with its philosophical undercurrents,†he writes.
Smith gives a historical context to Freud’s work and explains the most misunderstood aspects of his writings, uncovering the “rich philosophical tapestry of his thinking.â€
“Whatever one might think of the particular empirical claims that Freud advanced,†says Smith, “--notions such as the Oedipus complex, the mechanisms of defense, and the theory of dreaming – there is another, relatively unrecognized, aspect of Freud’s thinking: a profoundly philosophical dimension that promises rich intellectual rewards to anyone who cares to pursue it.â€
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