Freud, Fred, and other things

While attempting to figure out how to summarize the extraordinarily brief last week of class, I came across a series of posts made by Andra (here and here) and Danielle (here and here). They both talk about Freud (and Nietsche), but more specifically in how each interacted with his epoch.

Danielle specifically mentions, "Overall, both Freud, Nietzsche, and all the rebellious artists provoked the minds of lots of lower, middle, and upper class people; however, "millions undoubtedly went about the business of life untroubled by the implications of evolutionary theory, content to believe as they had believed before" (857)," also considering that, "We are all influenced by the present, but also by the past."

Andra, posting before Danielle, had only examined the implications of the present time on Freud, but had done so admirably.

To their conversation, I add the following:
-Specifically when talking about Nietsche and religion, Andra felt that, " Nietzsche and a lot of the critics of Christianity today hold this idea that the religion consists of only bible-hugging, born-again, fundamentalists." While I think that some people today do hold this view (erroneously), it perhaps held a grain more of truth when Nietzsche wrote. While not being "bible-hugging" or "born-again", certainly at that time religion was an integral part of life. While today many of us belong to no particular faith, I feel like in the past most people subscribed to some form of theology.

-Danielle is correct when she argued that our past affects us as well as our present. This also caused me to think of a questioned posed in class this week. Did Freud have to come after Darwin? It's a lot like the infamous Chicken/Egg question, but I feel like this one might have a more conclusive answer. For me, yes, Darwin rightly preceded Freud. Darwin revealed that we are not in control of our evolution (physical form), which, should someone have told me this, I might reply, "Well, I still have my mind!" To this, Freud would heartily chortle and slowly say, "No...." perhaps while stroking his beard thoughtfully. The acknowledgment that man is slave to primitive impulses acted to deepen the blow already inflicted. If Freud had made his claim earlier than Darwin, I doubt it would have had such a grave impact, since, after all, why would man (being the Crown of Creation) have this violent, sexual urges?