The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate the influence of Frazer's thinking on the genesis of Freudian psychoanalysis. The author of The Golden Bough, today often regarded as an example of a faded Victorian anthropology, was in fact a humanist with an intellectual foundation similar to that of the younger Viennese physician. Freud actually considered Frazer his immediate predecessor because he had chosen mythology as a cultural instrument with which explore the psyche of the human species: eventually the Underworld of the myth became the dark transfiguration of the sphere of the unconscious, and the treacherous river Acheron represented the obstacles to be overcome in order to penetrate in the world below. The philosopher Wittgenstein expressed his criticism for both Freud and Frazer and, in doing so, confirmed the existence of a deep affinity between the two authors. Hopefully, a study of the elements of Frazer's thinking with respect to the Freudian conception will help to us to better understand some aspects and implications of psychoanalysis, and perhaps, at the same time, also allow us to verify that the work of Frazer holds a wealth of knowledge and a creative catalyst still useful for understanding the human imagination.

Sulle rive dell'Acheronte. Freud e Frazer / Scarpelli, Giacomo. - In: INTERSEZIONI. - ISSN 0393-2451. - STAMPA. - 36:2(2016), pp. 199-219. [10.1404/83660]

Sulle rive dell'Acheronte. Freud e Frazer

SCARPELLI, Giacomo
2016

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate the influence of Frazer's thinking on the genesis of Freudian psychoanalysis. The author of The Golden Bough, today often regarded as an example of a faded Victorian anthropology, was in fact a humanist with an intellectual foundation similar to that of the younger Viennese physician. Freud actually considered Frazer his immediate predecessor because he had chosen mythology as a cultural instrument with which explore the psyche of the human species: eventually the Underworld of the myth became the dark transfiguration of the sphere of the unconscious, and the treacherous river Acheron represented the obstacles to be overcome in order to penetrate in the world below. The philosopher Wittgenstein expressed his criticism for both Freud and Frazer and, in doing so, confirmed the existence of a deep affinity between the two authors. Hopefully, a study of the elements of Frazer's thinking with respect to the Freudian conception will help to us to better understand some aspects and implications of psychoanalysis, and perhaps, at the same time, also allow us to verify that the work of Frazer holds a wealth of knowledge and a creative catalyst still useful for understanding the human imagination.
2016
36
2
199
219
Sulle rive dell'Acheronte. Freud e Frazer / Scarpelli, Giacomo. - In: INTERSEZIONI. - ISSN 0393-2451. - STAMPA. - 36:2(2016), pp. 199-219. [10.1404/83660]
Scarpelli, Giacomo
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Freud&Frazer-INTERSEZ copia.pdf

Accesso riservato

Descrizione: Sulle rive dell'Acheronte. Freud e Frazer
Tipologia: Versione pubblicata dall'editore
Dimensione 215.21 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
215.21 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia
ACHERONTE ACCEPT.pdf

Open access

Tipologia: Versione dell'autore revisionata e accettata per la pubblicazione
Dimensione 182.06 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
182.06 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

Licenza Creative Commons
I metadati presenti in IRIS UNIMORE sono rilasciati con licenza Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal, mentre i file delle pubblicazioni sono rilasciati con licenza Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale (CC BY 4.0), salvo diversa indicazione.
In caso di violazione di copyright, contattare Supporto Iris

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11380/1104305
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 0
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact