Science, Technology, and Society

How did the Freudian Revolution become controversial?

Sigmund Freud was a man ahead of his time. Through his ‘radical’ contributions in psychology,
he was able to expand knowledge on various issues involving the nature of man and humanity.
However, the mid 1800s through the early 1900s were unforgiving periods in the life and works of
Freud.

Upon introducing the Stages of Psychosexual Development, which highly emphasized sexuality
in their purest and richest form, the ideology received backlash mainly because it covered a subject that
the general public was unprepared for. Perhaps because it was a period where Victorian morality or
prude culture – call it what you want – was predominant, Freud’s work was bound to be faced with
bewilderment. Considering its influence and weight, it is also inevitable to mention that the Victorian
era was genuinely determined to uphold their previously held orthodox beliefs; which meant that
innovative ideas had to carefully toe themselves in between acceptable and ridiculous.

On the other hand, the main controversy of the Freudian Revolution did not solely lie on the
stubborn public, as well. Freud was indeed unconventional in terms of his methods. In an article written
by Delistraty (2017), it was cited that Freud had performed an unsupervised operation that almost killed
a woman, who was originally a patient in his psychoanalytic sessions. He presumed that the woman’s
physiological concern corresponded to his theory on sexual organs being connected to the nose, thus
prompting his medical endeavour.

In the end, Freud may have theorized several incorrect ideas during his time, but it does not
cancel out his excellence in other areas. Freud still remains a powerful personality in the realm of
Psychology. His Psychoanalytic theories on dreams, defense mechanisms, personalities, and the like, are
testament to his bizarre legacy amidst the unnecessary controversies thrown upon him. In fact, Freud’s
contributions continue to open more opportunities and greater discoveries in psychological studies.

Reference: Delistraty, C. (2017). Retrieved from: https://www.thecut.com/2017/09/sigmud-freud-

making-of-an-illusion-book.html