Freud's Topographic Model--Id, Ego, Superego

Today in class we briefly went over the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. I just want to elaborate a little more since I assume it may become relevant in later discussions of the tension between society and the individual as posited in "Civilization and its Discontents".

The Topographic Model:

Id - based on a more biological/physiological nature, the Id remains (almost) entirely unconscious and functions on the pleasure principle. That is to say, the Id seeks pleasure while simultaneously avoiding pain. It seeks for immediate gratification (usually of unconscious wishes) and therefore, if transformed into an expression, would resemble "I want, I want, I want!"

Ego - based on a more psychological aspect, the Ego is proliferated through the unconscious, preconscious, and conscious levels of the mind. It functions based on the reality principle--satisfying the Id while adapting to reality. Modern theorists emphasize the Ego's role in mediating anxiety and intra-psychic conflict from tension between the Superego and the Id. If the Ego was transformed into an expresion, it would resemble "Wait! I'll get it eventually"

Superego - based on a more societal aspect, the superego also penetrates all levels on Freud's structural model--consciousness, unconsciousness, and preconsciousness. The superego functions on moral and societal principles.

A Developmental Model:

Again, this is a simplified version of Freud's topographic model. Getting more advanced, Freud showed how each "instance" developed out of the other. Freud says that the Id, “…is not governed by laws of reason or logic, and it does not possess values, ethics, or morality.” The Id is the spoiled child who cannot stand tension and craves immediate gratification. It is within itself its own pleasurable reality with no regard for external stimulus. This is why if humans just had an Id, they would die. So, the Ego begins to mutate and form out of the Id growing from the shallow portions of the unconscious and permeating through the parts of the preconscious and conscious. If the structure is supposed to delegate its gratification needs form the Id to the environment it must have a clear perception of the reality a person faces.

During the Oedipus complex (the complex that is synonymous with the child loving the opposite sex parent and identifying with the same sex parent) a boy develops the strong emotional tie of love towards his mother. But he learns that he cannot openly show this affection because he is afraid of competition with his father which may result in the boy becoming castrated if his father finds out. Therefore he believes he can compete and symbolically obtain the love of his mother by identifying with his father. This is the first real identification. The identification with his father becomes assimilated into the boy's ego and by repressing most of his feelings of love towards his mother and hate towards his father, the Ego develops a "precipitate" big enough that the Super-Ego flourishes from that precipitate and emerges into existence. Therefore, the superego is build upon identified social rules and norms that the father exemplifies.

An Evolutionary Perspective:

Also mentioned in class, Darwin was a definite influence on Freud. However, there were other evolutionary theories that had their impact as well.The evolutionary paradigm that prevailed in Freud's time twas that there was a primordial condition of mankind, and those elements have stuck around in our innate capacities and tendencies in the human unconscious.

Freud tried to "alloy" and fuse the Darwinian model with Hackel's biogenetic law. To remind you, this is that ontogengy repeats phylogeny. This was specifically used in terms of id, ego, superego. As "humans" we evolved as primordial species (id based), to primordial but very aware of "reality" and our environmental adaptiveness (ego), to a society and cultural based species (superego). Just like the evolutionary pattern of our species, when we are born we are id based, then develop and ego, and then further develop a superego.

...Of course Freud's models always changed in his latest writings...but this is the main "idea".