The impact of evolutionary theories on Freud’s thought and work

Abstract

The relationship between psychoanalysis and evolutionary theories, although it has been remarked many times, it has not been thought over deeply. However, it seems that these theories had substantial influence on the freudian thought with applications on major psychoanalytic topics such as Oedipal complex, psychosexual development and the rise of civilization. In the present study, we examine the darwinian and lamarckian impact on some of Freud’s fundamental essays. In addition, specific mutual perspectives of evolutionary psychology and psychoanalysis are considered. The knowledge of various evolutionary approaches had a great effect on the intellectual route of the father of psychoanalysis