Freud and Adler on Man and Society (An Old and Rare Book)

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There are two aspects of human nature, one is individual and the other is social. These two aspects sometimes are in conflict and sometimes they co-operate. Human personality develops as a result of this process of conflict and co-operation. The problem of man and society centres round these two aspects of human nature. Man, at the time of his birth, is a bundle of instincts, mostly the ego-instincts, which are selfish motivated, i.e., they aim at their immediate satisfaction. Gradually they are replaced by the altruistic or social motives. Thus an individual, though born with basically ego instincts, becomes socialised under the pressure of the society in which he or she lives.

Now the question arises: What is exactly meant by this socialisation? In the language of Watson this socialisation is "the process of teaching the individual through various relation- ships, educational agencies and social controls, to adjust him- self to living in his society". Socialisation is the process of adopting the current customs and traditions introduced into the society and it becomes possible as a result of mutual interaction between the individual and the society.

No one can avoid the varied influences of society. Without a feeling of co-operation, without being dominated by others and without observing others' behaviours, a child can never acquire perfect personality, perfect in the sense of acquiring the ability to adjust himself smoothly with the environment. Practically there is no distinction at all between the higher and the lower beings so far as the animal instincts are concerned. It is only the rational faculty that characterizes man as 'higher', as distinguished from the lower beings. This rational faculty includes his self-consciousness and this self-consciousness be- comes exposed when he comes in contact with other members of the society.

This work, though not an exact reprint, is a more or less revised edition of my Doctoral dissertation. In this work, as its title indicates, I have made an humble attempt to discuss the broad problems of man and his social environment from the standpoints of Freud and Adler. The psychoanalytical literature has a lure of its own, and no one who is interested in man's basic problems can deny its attraction. Freud's is a towering personality and he is widely read, though, 1 am afraid, he is seldom properly understood. But Adler, unfortunately, has not received as much attention as he deserves. My main purpose here is to present the two thinkers side by side and to understand them in their own proper perspectives. I have tried to explain the basic ideas of the two thinkers in plain and simple language. I have avoided hard criticisms and have tried to show that the two thinkers, in spite of their differences (wide and fundamental in some respects) can meet. I do not know whether I have succeeded in accomplishing my task properly. I have surely my own limitations and I confess that I am fully sensible of my diffidence also as I finish my work.

In every chapter, barring the introductory and concluding ones, I have tried to keep the views of the two thinkers in separate sections and the exposition is followed by a comparative and critical estimate. There has been some repetition in this arrangement; but that is inevitable, and I crave the indulgence of my readers for that. I have gone through the original works as far as practicable and have freely drawn on the standard works by the two thinkers as also works on them. My indebtedness to other authors and commentators has been acknowledged in proper places.

I gratefully remember today my respected Professor and guide, the late lamented Dr. Prithibhusan Chatterji, former Head of the Department of Philosophy, Calcutta University under whose affectionate care it had been possible for me to complete this work.