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Allea Cauilan
Professor Altman
English 115 #14334
6 December 2014
Biology and Libido
Biology and psychology contain ideas that often conflict but sometimes their theories
support each other. Both fields of study also contain ideas that have become controversial. In
psychology, the most controversial theories have come from Sigmund Freud. He is well known
in psychology for his psychoanalytic theory, but has gotten opposition and negative responses to
his psychosexual development theory. Psychologists that oppose Freuds theories are called NeoFreudians. Freud focused on sex driven activities but neo-Freudians could not accept such a
claim. They believed that others factors controlled our actions. Sociological influences were
more favored by these neo-Freudians, but if Freuds claims were looked at through a biological
perspective, his ideas seem more plausible. Our sexual drives are not only caused by interactions
with others, they are also due to an innate instinct to have sex and reproduce. Although Freuds
psychosexual theory has been called outdated, it should still be considered a legitimate theory
because biological discoveries still support its points.
Basic biological and hormonal functions can prove some of Freuds psychosexual
development theories. Freuds theory describes how a baby develops through the stages of
childhood. Freud defined his own stages of development and claimed that sexual drive, called
libido, was the force guiding children through development. In the book The World of
Psychology, Freuds first stage, the oral stage of development, is described as the stage where
that babies suckle because of a sexual drive located near the mouth (Wood 460). Many have

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disagreed with Freud since it is hard to believe that sexual drive can influence people at such a
young age, but biology can prove that this is highly possible. When babies suckle on a mothers
breast, oxytocin is released. According to the Campbell Biology Textbook, Oxytocin is a feel
good hormone that gives a positive feeling to both the mother and child (Reece, Urry and Cain
982). Oxytocin is released to reward good behaviors, in this case breast-feeding. Sue Carter
conducts further research on oxytocin and describes it in her article Oxytocin Behavioral
Associations and Potential as the Salivary Biomarker. In her research she finds that
[Oxytocins] role is well established in birth, lactation, and parenting, as well as sexual
interactions and stress management (Carter 313). Since oxytocin is also released during intimate
interactions, including sex, the same innate feeling is achieved when babies breast-feed.
Although babies may not be experiencing and thinking about the sexual interactions, they do
receive the same type of neuropsychological reward. The oral stage of Freuds theory is due to
our bodys way of rewarding us when we do activities that ensure our survival. The sexual drive,
or libido, that Freud claimed was the driving force is simply oxytocin, which is associated with
both breast-feeding and sex. Activities that seem to be purely sociological actually have
biological reasoning behind it.
Observations of male-male competition in primates support one of Freuds most
controversial theories. In the second stage of Freuds psychosexual development theory, the
phallic stage, Freud states that children from ages 3-6 learn to masturbate. Freud claims that boys
will become attracted to their mothers and will have a jealousy and hatred directed towards their
father, known as the Oedipus complex. The boys would then have a fear of being discovered and
being castrated by their fathers (Wood, Wood and Boyd 461). Other psychologists found this
claim as absurd and impossible. This idea was often struck down by Neo-Freudians since there is

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no evidence of this phenomenon occurring. It is too difficult to research these kinds of feelings
with children so young, so many psychologists rejected this idea. Since there is no evidence for
or against Freuds claim, it means it is neither possible nor impossible. Biological research could
be tied to Freuds theory. Ecological and biological studies have proven that males are usually
competing for the females attention. Since females are the pickier of the two genders, in most
species the males compete to mate with the females. In the article Evolution of Sexuality:
Biology and Behavior it has been observed that infanticide by males is a significant source of
infant mortality in mammals. In primates it has been found in 35 different species [and] is clearly
an example of male-male competition (Dimijian 247). Even the most intelligent and advanced
species of animals demonstrate this behavior. Males will kill their offspring for a bigger chance
at dominance. The need for superiority comes from the biological need to spread genes, but the
male-male competition is a form of sociological activities. From an evolutionary perspective, this
makes the Oedipus complex very possible. Our primitive instincts cause boys to be jealous of
their fathers because their fathers are the more dominant male of the family. The boys will fear
their fathers castrating them, since castration would be a way for their fathers to ensure
dominance. Although it is strange to look at human behavior in the same light as animal behavior,
those that believe in evolution should not put down Freuds complex. Evolutionary forces tie
together with social activities to prove that the Oedipus complex can be driven my internal
instinct and, although not observed, can be possible.
Biological influences are stronger than sociological influences when it comes to the
development of sexual drive. Freuds psychosexual theory, and many of his other theories,
focused on his claim that sexual drive is very strong and there is a neurobiological reasoning for
this. Nancy Piotrowski describes the different views of Freuds psychosexual theories in her

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book Salem Health: Psychology & Mental Health. She describes how neo-Freudians targeted
Freuds claim that humans behave as they do because they are constantly seeking pleasure
(Piotrowski 1528). Freud believed that humans have a strong neurobiological urge that was
driving all of our actions and development. In their article Psychosexual Development, neoFreudians Simon and Gagnon write of their opposition to Freuds psychosexual theory. They
claim to reject the unproven assumption that powerful psychosexual drives are fixed
biological attributes (60). Simon and Gagnon heavily believed that sexual drives and activities
were more driven by sociocultural influences rather than hormonal and evolutionary drives. They
believed that boys who masturbated would feel guilt due to society, but girls rarely masturbated
because society made such an action wrong for a girl to do. Rutter describes his own
psychosexual development theory in his article Normal Psychosexual Development. He
believes that sociological factors may come into play but, it would be quite wrong to conclude
that internal factors are of no importance in sexual activity. On the contrary, they are the most
influential (although no the only influences). It has been demonstrated in many different studies
that androgens have a powerful effect on eroticism in both sexes (Rutter 266). Androgens are
the sexual hormones that our body released. Human beings are advanced creatures so social
interaction is very important, but our innate biological urges will not go away. As Rutter
explained, androgens have powerful effects on our sexual drives. Hormones like testosterone and
estrogens have been studied have proven to have an effect on our libido. Males and females have
different amounts of each hormone which explains the differences in sexual drive. As a species,
we must reproduce to pass on our genetic legacy and to survive. Our androgens give us the urge
to reproduce and engage in sex. From an evolutionary point of view, all living things tend to do
activities for the sake of survival and reproduction, so it cannot be ignored when Freud claims

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that our development as humans is centered on sexual drives. Although our upbringings and
culture have an effect on us, the biological nature of our body and minds out weights the
influence of the way we were nurtured.
Freud has been refuted many times by other psychologists, but studies in neurobiology
may keep the argument alive. Sexual drive may not be the only thing on our minds, but it is a
crucial part of our humanity. Some may claim that as babies and children, we are not influenced
by sex, but neurological hormones like oxytocin have proven that although they dont know what
sex is, children are experiencing similar chemical reactions as adults who are engaging in sexual
activities. Freuds Oedipus complex has been rejected many times but biologists could see this as
a very possible situation. Observations of primates have shown that similar father-son complexes
occur due to the need for superiority. Overall, sexual drive governs our lives on a daily basis.
Evolution has made us into beings that are capable of socializing and creating relationships, but
also made our ultimate goal to survive and reproduce. Our interactions with others may have
caused changes in the way we approach the concept of sex, but on a basic level, our sexual drives
are enforced by hormones and chemical balances. Before we learned to create social standards
and activities, our biological composition led our ancestors to reproduce and make the society we
have today. Instead of simply objecting Freuds seemingly absurd theories, we should look at our
biological make up and reconsider his ideas.

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Works Cited
Carter,Sue C. et al. "Oxytocin Behavioral Associations and Potential as a Salivary Biomarker."
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1098.1 (2007): 312-322. Blackwell
Publishing. Web. 10 November 2014.
Dimijian, Gregory G. "Evolution of Sexuality: Biology and Behavior." Proceedings (Baylor
University. Medical Center), 18.3 (2005): 244-258. Web. 10 November 2014.
Giddens, Anthony, Mitchell Duneier and Richard P. Appelbaum. Essentials of Sociology. New
York: W.W Norton & Company, Inc., 2006. Print.
Piotrowski, Nancy A. Salem Health: Psychology & Mental Health. Pasadena, California: Salem
Press, 2010. EBSCOhost. Web. 4 November 2014.
Reece, Jane B, et al. Campbell Biology 9th Edition. Boston: Pearson Banjamin Cummings, 2011.
Print.
Rutter, M. "Normal Psychosexual Development." Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
and Allied Disciplines, 11.4 (1971): 259-278. Web.10 November 2014.
Simon, William and John Gagnon. "Psychosexual Development." Society (1998): 60-67. Web. 5
November 2014.
Wood, Samuel E., Ellen Green Wood and Denise Boyd. The World of Psychology. Boston:
Pearson, 2008. Print.