XPost: alt.philosophy.debate, uk.philosophy.humanism, talk.philosophy.misc

Thanatos - a contribution to the understanding of the collective shadow

Abstract: The principle of the death drive (Thanatos) is understood as a genuine psychic force connected with the mother complex. Destructivity
in repetitious form can temporarily emancipate the ego from unconscious dependency in phallic-narcissism. It is present in the immature or
fragile personality (the weak ego). Thanatos is unconsciously
therapeutic in that it aims at strengthening a frail ego consciousness.
It can ward off unconscious wholeness, invariably associated with the
Mother archetype, in which the borders of personality are dissolved.
Although it serves to avoid regression, destructiveness can become
obsessive. The sun god Horus's perennial struggle against Seth, in
Egyptian mythology, illustrates the dynamics of Thanatos. Accordingly,
every night Seth defends the sun bark by defeating the negative Mother
in the guise of the chaos monster Apophis. Thanks to Seth, the sun of consciousness is restored and can rise again in the morning. In history, phallocentric culture is sustained by Thanatos in its restorative
capacity, but this runs counter to the ideals of patriarchal culture,
whose guiding star is Horus.

Keywords: Todestrieb, matricide, maternal bond, trauma, suicide,
mortido, destrudo, patriarchal, Phallic Mother, complementation.

Read the article here:
http://mlwi.magix.net/thanatos.htm
http://www.two-paths.com/thanatos.htm

Mats Winther

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