OnDiscriminationTowardsWomeninFreud’sTheory

【Abstract】Freud’s theory is formed in the early twentieth century in which under the influence of fast-developing industry， more and more women come out of home to work in society . This change of women’s role and the appearance of feminism in society cause men’s anxiety towards their dominant position in patriarchy. The misogynist culture forms. Although Freud’s theory is a challenge to the traditional belief and value of classical society and tries to solve the belief crisis and identity crisis in mechanical society， he does not get rid of the limitation of his time--misogyny and the discrimination towards women can be seen in his theory about penis envy， sexuality， feminity and super ego.

【Key Words】 Freud， misogynist culture， penis envy， super ego

1、Social background of Freud’s theory

Freud’s theory comes into being in the twentieth century when science and industry gain rapid development which brings huge change to society and the mechanical culture forms. In this culture， material enjoyment is highlighted to a so high level that people’s spiritual world is ignored； the criteria of people’s success in society is about money. Thus traditional values are challenged and the belief crisis appears. In this situation， different people try their own ways to explain this situation and to find out a situation. Freud is one of them who try to figure out a solution from the perspective of psychology.

Under mechanical culture， more and more women begin to work in industries. In this situation， the traditional social division of labor is changed and the concept of two sexes’ role in society is challenged. Men become anxious about their identity and position in society.Thus they try to emphasize the male-centered consciousness in literature， art and philosophy so as to maintain their controlling position in society. Misogynist culture come into being. This misogynist culture affects the creation of many big thinkers at that time， including Freud. He believes that the equality between men and women is impossible and the real role of women should be a cute baby at young time and a charming lady when growing up. He supposes women to be weak and fragile. This idea will confine women to family and make them alienate from society.

2、Discrimination towards women in Freud’s theory

Freud defines women as castrated men and regards women to be inferior to men by born because of their lack of penis. He supposes women will be jealous of men as they grow to realize their lack of penis and tend to be vainglorious and narcissistic so as to conceal their physiological defect. Besides the super ego of women is not fully developed so that women are more emotional. All these Freud’s ideas are actually another way of expression to defend men’s authority of patriarchal society and to prevent women from melting into society. Freud， even as a great thinker， does not go beyond his time.

2.1 Discrimination towards women in Freud’s theory of penis envy

Feud defines women as the second sex who are just castrated men and lack real sexual identity. He believes women’s psychology is formed under the great influence of their biological defect and their “penis envy”. When girls find their different body structure with boys， they will keep desiring to have penis for a long time.This penis envy will exit in girls’ subconsciousness as they grow up and may dive girls to do something desperately， such as engaging in brain work. Freud further explains in the book The Disappearance of Oedipus Complex that girls will feel inferior when they realize that they “develop too short ” compared with those boys they are playing with.

But he does not explain why women have to be jealous when they realize their biological difference with men and why should not women feel proud of their special biological characteristic. In Freud’s daily life， he does not have an agreeable emotion to women which causes his lack of real understanding to women. Thus his definition towards women actually serves as a way to justify men’s discrimination towards women and to maintain men’s controlling of women in a new century when the patriarchal society is being shaken by feminism. Besides，F(xiàn)reud had once confess at one conversation that he have devoted himself to the study of women’s psychology for more than thirty years， but there still once question that he can not find a answer， that is ‘what are women after all？’ ”

2.2 Discrimination towards women in Freud’s theory of sexuality

In Freud’s opinion， that psychology-being desirous of penis and dissatisfaction with their own body will influence girl’s development of sexuality， for example， girls may give up to get joy through masturbation of clitoris and they will inhibit their desire of sex in most occasions. Thus women are described as frigidity. As a result， men always actively take control the initiative in sex activity while women can only receive passively and are not supposed to seek pleasure of sex. Otherwise they will be criticized to be frivolous.

Actually this description reflects the idea of androcentrism. The frigidity of middle-class women is caused by the reality that they are possessions owned by men in marriage of patriarchal society. They are objects hunted， owned and controlled by men， so women are forced to be obedient and passive in sex. Only those first class women and prostitute are admired for their vitality in sex. If Freud can make more contact with female patients from noble family of France and England， his may change his rigid description of women’s frigidity.

2.3 Discrimination towards women in Freud’s theory of super ego

Under the influence of “penis envy”， women’s super ego in Freud’s opinion is not completely developed so women can not form a comprehensive understanding of moral standard and are more likely to be driven by their own emotion. Freud says in the chapter of Feminine in New Introductory Lectures On Psychoanalysis that women maybe be regarded to be lack of fairness， which is caused by the psychology of envy because the condition to be fair is to get rid of envy. This deficiency of women’s super ego makes them less interested in society and less capable in the sublimation of libido than men.

Freud subjectively predicts women’s super ego is weaker than men’s and thus women are easier to be controlled by instinct and desire. He just intends to reclaim those cliche of women’s inferiority in morality and tries to make that cliche justifiable. He analyzes women in biology aspect from men’s eye and ignores the impact of family and society oppression in the forming of women’s super ego.At the beginning of twenties century， women are confined to family before and after marriage. Their daily life in patriarchal society is boring and monotonous which causes their rigid and unchangeable psychology for they do not find any hope to be vigorous.

Conclusion

In Freud’s theory， women are always dependent on men and are defined as castrated men， affiliated mates， objects for men to conquer， and machines to give birth to baby. He does not admit women as an independent subject but judges them by standards of androcracy. .Besides he puts women in an inferior position for their biological characteristic- without penis， which causes the women’s psychology of penis envy. Then under the influence of penis envy， women develop to be inferior to men in sexuality， personality and super ego.

While any thought and theory are the product of its time and are limited by its time. Freud is also impossible to get rid of the influence of mechanical culture and misogynist culture in twenties century. His theory is colored with discrimination against women and serves as a tool to defense and justify those bias against women so as to maintain men’s dominant position .

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（作者單位：東北林業(yè)大學(xué)）