ABSTRACT
Among the various proposals made by Freud regarding the romantic and sexual life of human beings, the following four stand out:
The process of their love object choice is biphasic. The first phase begins between the ages of two and five and is characterized by infantile sexual aims. This is brought to a halt by latency. Puberty then sets in the second phase which consists of a more explicitly sexual move towards the object (Freud, 1905a).
There are “two currents whose union is necessary to ensure a completely normal attitude in love… . These two may be distinguished as the affectionate and the sensual currents” (Freud, 1912b, p. 180, italics in the original). The affectionate current is ontogenetically earlier and arises in connection with early maternal care. The sensual current represents a synthesis of infantile sexual aims during puberty; it is responsible for adult sexual passion.
A distinction also exists between narcissistic (arising from the ego’s self-affirming needs) and anaclitic (arising from the ego’s desire for the object’s help-giving qualities) forms of love (Freud, 1914).
A synthesis of libidinal and aggressive aims is necessary for true love. In fact, “nature, by making use of this pair of opposites, continues to keep love ever vigilant and fresh” (Freud, 1915d, p. 299).
