The Themes of Death and War in the Psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud

The theme of death in psychoanalysis is examined through Sigmund Freud‘s fundamental premise that the concept of death does not exist in the unconscious. Civilization‘s task is to keep death at a distance, but war alters this „contract“ with death, making its perception tangible and inevitable. Human behavior is driven by the opposing yet always interconnected forces of the two instincts – the drive towards life and the death drive. Human aggression cannot be eliminated, but the psychoanalytic discourse seeks to outline possible ways of channeling the energy of these instincts by exploring the role of social norms and laws, ethical and aesthetic principles, culture, and art