Libido and

Thanatos
According to Freud,

Sexuality – Is a bodily process that could be

totally understood under a model of tension
reduction.

Libido - Refer to the emotional and psychic

energy derived by the biological drive of
sexuality testifies to this shift in his thought.
According to Freud,

Drive – Is a psychological or mental

representation of an inner bodily source of
excitement.
●source
●impetus
●aim
●object
Eros – Refers to life impulses or drives, those
forces that maintain life processes and ensure
reproduction of species.
Eros and Thanatos

Eros - also know as the life drive controls the

need to live, be healthy, be safe and need to
populate (sex)

Thanatos – know as the death drive after the

Greek messenger of death. The drive controls
the aggression, risky behavior and death. It push
human to take part in activities that brings them
closer to death, such as suicide, etc.
Eros and Thanatos

Eros is a progressive in nature aids growth promotes

development while Thanatos is destructive harmful
to other like a form of extreme regression.

He viewed these drives as intrinsic universal and

unconscious and has reasons stemmed from his
work with war veterans with PTSP.
The war affected Freud theories but he did not
discard his other theories rather he added to them
to his book called Beyond the Please Principle which
give birth to the drives
(Eros and Thanatos).
Psychosexual
Stages of
Development
Freud stressed the importance of childhood
events and experiences, because the chief
identifying character if each stage is the
primary erogenous zone and because each
stage has an influence on adult personality.

Fixation

Is a concentration of behavior in a certain

stage of development.
Oral Stage

Birth to 1 year/ 12 to 18 months

Gratification is attained primarily through oral

activities, like sucking, eating and biting.

Pleasure center on the mouth, lips and tongue.

Oral fixation

Occurs when oral needs are not met or overindulge.

Gossiping, overeating and smoking.

Anal Stage

Birth 1 to 3 years

Gratification is attained through anal activities or

defecation of wastes.

Pleasure center on the anus.

Anal fixation

People may be excessively orderly, stubborn or

generous, depending
on how their toilet training progressed.
Phallic Stage

Birth 3 to 6 years

Characterized by attachment of the child to parents

of the opposite sex.

Pleasure center on the sex organ parent of the same

sex is viewed as rival for the other parent’s
affection.

Oedipus complex for boys.

Electra complex for girls.

Latency

Birth 6 years to adolescence

Child focuses more on social relationship.

Genital Stage

Adolescence and beyond

Characterized by sexual gratification through

intercourse with the
member of the other sex.