Philosophy 152 Philosophy of Human Nature Darwall Fall 1996 FREUD III For next time: read pp. 311-329 from the Abel volume on Sartre. I Again, recall the contrast between action and other events, in the respect that only actions are taken for reasons, reasons that make sense of what is done as something to do. II Freud provides us with a framework that appears to extend the scope of what can be explained by the agent's reasons. Much behavior that seems otherwise inexplicable can be explained by reasons that are the agent's, even though these are unconscious and hidden from her. The example of Anna O.'s hydrophobia. Anna represses her initial anger and disgust, and these explain her rejecting glasses of water even when she has a tormenting thirst. How does this work? Under what description, might we understand her behavior as sensible? What if she had been offered the glass by her "lady- companion" during the precipitating experience and had not felt inhibited? Another example, the "savior" joke. See top p. 295. What is the unconscious motive here? What are the agent's reasons? III In cases where we have unconscious motives, there is a sense in which we act for reasons. But that doesn't mean that we act on what we really think are the best reasons all things considered. An unconscious motive gives us the "appearance" of a reason (it is like an emotion in this respect). How do we come to be able to act on what we really believe are the best reasons (or even come to good judgments). Here we should compare Freud's picture with Plato's. Recall Plato on spirit vs. reason. Although Plato says that reason and spirit never conflict, it seems they might. Likewise, it seems clear enough that what seems best to us through some unconscious motive can conflict with what we believe best, or with our more fundamental values. If you asked Anna O. whether she thought it was better to go without water, she might well not answer that it was. According to Freud, however, the only way she can come act on her real belief about what is best is to diffuse her unconscious motivation, and that requires a therapy that brings the unconscious motivation and its precipitating experience to consciousness. IV Role of sexuality for Freud.