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Vol. 42 No. 1 (2022)
Revista Portuguesa de Psicanálise

Arts, Literature and Humanities

Eros e Tanatos: Reflexões Sobre A Destrutividade Contemporânea

https://doi.org/10.51356/rpp.421a8

Published 2022-08-06

  • Emílio Salgueiro

Emílio Salgueiro
Sociedade Portuguesa de Psicanálise

Abstract

Eros and Thanatos - Reflections on Contemporary Destructiveness

The psychoanalyst Vamik Volkan hypothesizes that there is the absolute, rebalancing need to have friends and enemies, both personally, as a group, and even nationally. In this way, external and internal, depressive, or helpless and persecutory objects are created, and in this way the mental areas of Eros and Thanatos are created, which are fundamental instruments in the classification of reality. “Persecutory and desperate goats” and “exciting and exhilarating goats” are thus bred and used. Reflections are made on pedophilia or corruption, as prevalent social evils, and the fear of understanding them, the dialogue between Einstein and Freud on violence and aggression and their inevitability is also remembered. Freud admits that only education can lessen them, but not make them disappear. The biblical episode of Samson and Delilah helps to understand these concepts and, finally, some considerations about contemporary crises.

Keywords

Eros and Thanatos, Destructiveness, "Scapegoats", "Animating goats"

PDF (Português)

Author Biography

Emílio Salgueiro

Pedopsiquiatra e psicanalista. Professor Catedrático jubilado de Psicologia e Psicanálise. Membro Titular, com funções didáticas, da Sociedade Portuguesa de Psicanálise (SPP) e da Associação Psicanalítica Internacional (IPA). 

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