ABSTRACT
Freud is known for many things and acknowledged, even by a number of his critics, as one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. I want to explore a topic that is not often counted among Freud’s concerns: his views about Nature and its role in human life. Freud did not hold a specific theory about Nature or present a developed view about the psychological value of the natural realm. Nevertheless, in a number of places in his mature works, he expresses clear and consistent views about Nature and its effects on human psychology and self-understanding. Such views play crucial roles in some of Freud’s most important arguments. For example, a particular and explicit set of beliefs about how humans respond to Nature plays a critical role in his justly famous accounts of the origins of civilization and religion. Given this connection and the importance of these topics, a careful examination of Freud’s views about Nature is well warranted and even overdue.
