death instinct
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- (psychoanalysis) an unconscious urge to die: In psychoanalytic theory, the "death instinct" refers to a fundamental, unconscious human drive towards self-destruction, aggression, and a return to an inorganic state. It is often contrasted with life-preserving drives.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Freud theorized that the death instinct, or Thanatos, is in constant conflict with the life instinct, Eros.
- Some analysts interpret acts of self-sabotage as an expression of the death instinct.
Advanced Usage
- "to be driven by the death instinct": to have one's behavior or unconscious motivations strongly influenced by self-destructive urges.
- The character's relentless pursuit of dangerous situations seemed to be driven by the death instinct.
Variants and Related Words
- Thanatos (n): The term used by Sigmund Freud, derived from Greek mythology, to denote the death instinct.
- Freud's concept of Thanatos was a later addition to his drive theory.
- Destrudo (n): A term sometimes used in psychoanalysis for the energy of the death instinct.
- Death drive (n): A synonymous phrase for the death instinct.
Synonyms
- Thanatos: (Specifically in psychoanalytic contexts)
- Death drive: (A direct synonym)
- Nirvana principle: (A related concept describing a tendency to reduce tension to zero, often linked to the death instinct)
Related Phrases
- Life instinct (Eros): The opposing drive encompassing love, creativity, and life-preserving forces.
- Psychoanalysis posits a dynamic struggle between the life instinct and the death instinct.
Noun
- (psychoanalysis) an unconscious urge to die