When we really feel threatened with injury or death we tend to disregard the standards of civilized behavior, reverting back to more primitive modes. So do nations. Six months after the outbreak of World War I, Sigmund Freud expresses his discontent and disillusionment with both human nature and the nation state and its monopoly on violence in two fascinating essays.
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Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an exceptionally influential Austrian psychologist, neurologist, philosopher and writer. The founder of psychoanalysis, his major works include 'The Interpretation of Dreams' (1900), 'The Psychopathology of Everyday Life' (1901), 'Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality' (1905), and 'Totem and Taboo' (1913).