--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One criticism of Freud still sometimes…" description: "\"“One criticism of Freud still sometimes heard on the political Left is that his thinking is individualist — that he substitutes ‘private’ psychological..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/terry-eagleton-1660_freud_one-criticism-of-freud-still-sometimes-h_2759688.jpg" --- # One criticism of Freud still sometimes heard on the… ![“One criticism of Freud still sometimes heard on the political Left is that his thinking is individualist — that he substitutes ‘private’ psychological causes and explanations for social and historical ones. This accusation reflects a radical misunderstanding of Freudian theory. There is indeed a…” quote by Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/terry-eagleton-1660_freud_one-criticism-of-freud-still-sometimes-h_2759688.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/terry-eagleton-1660_freud_one-criticism-of-freud-still-sometimes-h_2759688.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/terry-eagleton-1660_freud_one-criticism-of-freud-still-sometimes-h_2759688.jpg) > ““One criticism of Freud still sometimes heard on the political Left is that his thinking is individualist — that he substitutes ‘private’ psychological causes and explanations for social and historical ones. This accusation reflects a radical misunderstanding of Freudian theory. There is indeed a real problem about how social and historical factors are related to the unconscious; but one point of Freud’s work is that it makes it possible for us to think of the development of the human individual in social and historical terms. What Freud produces, indeed, is nothing less than a materialist theory of the making of the human subject. We come to be what we are by an interrelation of bodies — by the complex transactions which take place during infancy between our bodies and those which surround us. This is not a biological reductionism: Freud does not of course believe that we are nothing but our bodies, or that our minds are mere reflexes of them. Nor is it an asocial model of life, since the bodies which surround us, and our relations with them, are always socially specific.”” [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freud’s theory links individual psyche to social and historical contexts, showing subject formation is shaped by bodily and relational interactions, not mere biology or isolation. **In simple terms:** Freud sees personal development as socially and historically embedded. Key Takeaway Recognize the social roots of personal identity. Themes psychology materialism social theory subject formation historical context Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - psychotherapy - sociology researcheducation - political analysis - cultural studies Key Concepts materialist theory subjectivity bodily relations social specificity Questions to Reflect On - How do social environments shape personal identity? - What balance exists between biology and society in shaping the self? A Different Perspective Freud’s ideas can be misapplied to ignore biological influences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-freud-2102782/) [Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freud/) [Freud Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freud-work-3159578/) [Freudian Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freudian-theory-2014973/) [Materialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialism/) [Misunderstanding Freudian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misunderstanding-freudian-3159576/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Psychoanalysis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychoanalysis/) [Reductionism Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reductionism-freud-3159577/) [Subjectivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjectivity/) ## Related quotes > [As a piece of literacy criticism, Freud's best writing is about Dostoyevsky. 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In literature, you're allowed to write from the inside, but at least most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/to-give-subjectivity-to-the-dozier-school-boys-is-fundamentally-mind/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [every subjective phenomenon is essentially connected with a single point of view, and it seems inevitable that an objective, physical theory will abandon that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/every-subjective-phenomenon-is-essentially-connected-with-a-single/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. 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