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What roles did Eros and Thanatos play in Freud’s theory of motivation?
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Instinct
Foraging is an example of an instinct driven by impulses serving specific biological functions.
In Sigmund Freud’s later psychoanalytic theory, Eros and Thanatos represent the two fundamental, opposing drives that govern human motivation.12
- Eros (Life Instinct): Often associated with libido, Eros encompasses the drives for self-preservation, sexual gratification, and the creation of life. It seeks to bind elements together and maintain the organism’s vitality.12
- Thanatos (Death Instinct): Freud posited this as an innate, regressive drive toward stasis, aiming to return the organism to an inorganic, tension-free state. Because Eros naturally opposes the self-destruction inherent in Thanatos, the destructive energy of the death instinct is frequently redirected outward.12
Freud argued that this redirection of Thanatos manifests as aggression, cruelty, and violence toward others. By establishing this dualistic framework, Freud moved away from his earlier models—which focused on self-preservation versus sexual drives—to explain the complex interplay between creative and destructive forces in human behavior.12