--- product_id: 106662057 title: "Civilization and Its Discontents (Penguin Modern Classics) New Ed Edition, Kindle Edition" brand: "sigmund freud" price: "€ 16.59" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.it/products/106662057-civilization-and-its-discontents-penguin-modern-classics-new-ed-edition store_origin: IT region: Italy --- # Civilization and Its Discontents (Penguin Modern Classics) New Ed Edition, Kindle Edition **Brand:** sigmund freud **Price:** € 16.59 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Civilization and Its Discontents (Penguin Modern Classics) New Ed Edition, Kindle Edition by sigmund freud - **How much does it cost?** € 16.59 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.it](https://www.desertcart.it/products/106662057-civilization-and-its-discontents-penguin-modern-classics-new-ed-edition) ## Best For - sigmund freud enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted sigmund freud brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CRUCIAL TEXT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY *by Y***R on Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2018* Leaving aside the second short text included in this volume and the introduction and rereading “Civilization and Its Discontents” after more than 20 years, I am more impressed than ever. The details of psychological depth processes are secondary to Freud’s deep understanding of THE fundamental problems of modern civilization -- which are increasingly of fatal potential. As put by Freud “Much of mankind’s struggle is taken up with the task of finding a suitable, that is to say a happy accommodation, between the claims of the individual and the mass claims of civilization. One of the problems affecting the fate of mankind is whether such an accommodation can be achieved through a particular moulding of civilization or whether the conflict is irreconcilable (p. 42). Freud continues and states frankly “I can no longer understand how we could have ignored the ubiquity of non-erotic aggression and destruction and failed to accord it its due place in the interpretation of life. (p 72); and “I take the view that the tendency to aggression is an original, autonomous disposition in man, and I return to my earlier contention that it represents the greatest obstacle to civilization…to gather together individuals, then families and finally tribes, peoples and nations in one great unit – humanity… These multitudes of human beings are to be libidinally bound to one another; necessity alone, the advantages of shared work, will not hold them together. However, this programme of civilization is opposed by man’s natural aggressive drive, the hostility of each against all and all against each. This aggressive drive is the descendant and principal representative of the death drive, which we have found beside Eros and which rules the world jointly with him. And now, I think, the meaning of the development of civilization is no longer obscure to us. This development must show us the struggle between Eros and death, between the life drive and the drive for destruction, as it is played out in the human race. This struggle is the essential content of all life; hence, the development of civilization may be described simply as humanity’s struggle for existence (p. 75). towards the end comes the most crucial insight of all: “Human beings have made such strides in controlling the forces of nature that, with the help of these forces, they will have no difficulty in exterminating one another, down to the last man. They know this, and it is this knowledge that accounts for much of their present disquiet, unhappiness and anxiety” (p. 106). Given nuclear weapons, climate change, gene editing and emerging nano technologies, Freud’s mind foresaw the fateful choices increasingly faces the human species and the inherent difficulties and perhaps impossibilities to cope with them. This is what makes “Civilization and Discontent” into a crucial text for the 21st century.Professor Yehezkel Dror ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Civilization and its Discontents *by T***N on Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2014* I had to read this for a philosophy lecture and found it interesting. Not a great fan of Freud after reading this and Interpretation of Dreams but this is an important essay. Take your time and think about it. Remember that he wrote it after WWI and the collapse of his world and just as the Nazis were coming to power. A few years later, his country, Austria, was taken over and he had to leave his homeland. A few years later, his homeland-Austria, as absorbed into Germany and he became a refugee. This essay is a meditation and foreshadowing of what happens when civilization begins to dissolve. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Can't get around this book. *by A***R on Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2011* This is arguably Freud's best work, in the sense that it covers issues that are absolutely timeless in the most straightforward manner possible. Not inflected with Freud's theories on trauma, gender, or hysteria, this book is a pure distillation of the un-get-around-able question: How do we balance our our visceral desires with out need to get along? How do the sacrifices we make in order to live in society affect our primal selves? And are they worth it?Written in the wake of a devastating war, this book contains a streak of intelligent, wary pessimism that's hard to counter.In the lineage of lasting works that address the question of balancing desires with responsibilities, urges with laws, this book comes after Euripides' "The Bacchae" and Nietzsche's "The Birth of Tragedy" for me. It's a compelling read and re-read. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.it/products/106662057-civilization-and-its-discontents-penguin-modern-classics-new-ed-edition](https://www.desertcart.it/products/106662057-civilization-and-its-discontents-penguin-modern-classics-new-ed-edition) --- *Product available on Desertcart Italy* *Store origin: IT* *Last updated: 2026-05-13*