Totem and Taboo: Resemblances Between the Mental Lives of Savages and Neurotics

Sigmund Freud attempted to give a psychoanalysis into the minds of people and neurosis. In his book, Totem and Taboo, he proposes that all modern forms of socialization are shaped by the primitive culture of origin. In addition to that, he states that all behaviors of conformity spring from a common primitive form. Generally, a totem is a symbol that is common to a group of people. Typically, members who are of the same totem are prohibited from breeding. In this book, Freud argues that these simplistic societies would simply have had no way of knowing the physiological effects of incest. Instead, Freud argues that these primitive societies are driven by something else. Thus, Freud instigated a study into these groups and came up with conclusions. In the book, he also has something to say about how modern and monotheistic religions came into being. His theories have been heavily criticized, and have been a source of major controversies since they were first put forward. In this light, there is a need for closer examination.

Published in 1913, Totem and Taboo is now considered a classic anthropological text that even if factually dubious is still very inspiring for the manner in which it engages culture and the collective psyche.