ABSTRACT
Freud's theory is basically libidinal. In Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego he applied his libidinal, or sexual, theory to the problem of leadership. In explaining how a leader holds a group together by libido, or love, Freud also examines the role of "suggestibility". It is a concept closely related to hypnosis, and to the frequently noted hypnotic powers of the leader. This chapter discusses the traits of asceticism, religious (Christian) or worldly, revealed by the dictionary definition and the quotations from Weber. The main psychological treatment of asceticism, such as it is, seems to revolve around the concepts of sadism and masochism. In the simplest terms, sadism affords an individual erotic gratification through the infliction of physical pain on another person; masochism offers gratification through the infliction of physical pain on oneself. The chapter looks at the way revolutionary asceticism arms the leader for his historical task of revolution.
