Reflections on War and Death

In Reflections on War and Death, we delve into Freuds provocative assertion that those who suppress their impulses may be mere hypocrites, often unaware of their duplicity. Freud argues that modern civilization nurtures this hypocrisy, leading to a greater number of civilized hypocrites than genuinely cultured individuals. He provocatively questions whether some degree of hypocrisy is essential for the maintenance of civilization itself. When this distorted version of civilization, which enforces obedience among its citizens, enters into war, Freud expresses both pain and understanding at its readiness to commit injustices and violence that tarnish individual honor. He highlights how the state employs cunning, lies, and intentional deception against its enemies, shedding its moral constraints during conflict. The very conscience that guides ethical behavior is revealed, in Freuds view, to emerge from social fear, with the state restricting individual wrongdoing in times of peace only to monopolize it. During war, this moral restraint dissolves, leading individuals to commit acts of cruelty and betrayal that would previously have been deemed unthinkable. (Summary by J.C. Grey, from The Bookman A Review of Books and Life, v.47 Mar-Aug 1918. First sentence edited for clarity.)

In Reflections on War and Death, we delve into Freuds provocative assertion that those who suppress their impulses may be mere hypocrites, often unaware of their duplicity. Freud argues that modern civilization nurtures this hypocrisy, leading to a greater number of civilized hypocrites than genuinely cultured individuals. He provocatively questions whether some degree of hypocrisy is essential for the maintenance of civilization itself. When this distorted version of civilization, which enforces obedience among its citizens, enters into war, Freud expresses both pain and understanding at its readiness to commit injustices and violence that tarnish individual honor. He highlights how the state employs cunning, lies, and intentional deception against its enemies, shedding its moral constraints during conflict. The very conscience that guides ethical behavior is revealed, in Freuds view, to emerge from social fear, with the state restricting individual wrongdoing in times of peace only to monopolize it. During war, this moral restraint dissolves, leading individuals to commit acts of cruelty and betrayal that would previously have been deemed unthinkable. (Summary by J.C. Grey, from The Bookman A Review of Books and Life, v.47 Mar-Aug 1918. First sentence edited for clarity.)