Sigmund Freud takes up the question of why people hold religious beliefs and concludes that they are wish fulfillments, born of a longing for a protective father and a need to make sense of nature's dangers. In a dialogue with an imagined critic, he argues that culture has to restrain instincts and that religion has served this purpose, but that society will do better to put its trust in science and reason. He leaves open how quickly humanity can make the change.
Readers of philosophy, psychology and religious studies will find a clear and short statement of the psychoanalytic critique of faith. Skeptics and believers alike can use it to test their own positions.
Deep, inward-looking and contemplative; a demanding read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1927
- Language
- EN
