Beyond the Pleasure Principle

Beyond the Pleasure Principle is a book by Sigmund Freud that marks a major turning point in his theoretical approach. Previously, Freud attributed most human behavior to the sexual instinct (Eros or libido). With this book, Freud went "beyond" the simple pleasure principle, developing his theory of drives with the addition of the death drive (often referred to as Thanatos). The book describes humans as struggling between two opposing drives: Eros, which produces creativity, harmony, sexual connection, reproduction, and self-preservation; and Thanatos, which brings destruction, repetition, aggression, compulsion, and self-destruction. With Beyond the Pleasure Principle, Freud also introduced the question of violence and destructiveness in humans. These themes play an important role in some later writings, when Freud suggested that civilization's major function is to repress the death instinct.