ix

Translator's Introduction

When one reviews the history of psycho-
analysis¹ one finds that it had its inception in the
study of morbid mental states. Beginning with
the observation of hysteria and the other neu-
roses² Professor Freud gradually extended his
investigations to normal psychology and evolved
new concepts and new methods of study. The
neurotic symptoms were no longer imaginary
troubles the nature of which one could not grasp,
but were conceived as mental and emotional
maladjustments to one's environment. The
stamp of degeneracy impressed upon neurotics
by other schools of medicine was altogether
eradicated. Deeper investigation showed con-
clusively that a person might become neurotic
if subjected to certain environments, and that
there was no definite dividing line between
normal and abnormal. The hysterical symp-

¹ The History of the Psychoanalytic Movement, translated by A. A.
Brill.

² Selected Papers on Hysteria and other Psychoneuroses, translated
by A. A. Brill.

x

TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION

toms, obsessions, doubts, phobias, as well as
hallucinations of the insane, show the same
mechanisms as those similar psychic structures
which one constantly encounters in normal
persons in the form of mistakes in talking, read-
ing, writing, forgetting³, dreams and wit. The
dream, always highly valued by the populace,
and as much despised by the educated classes,
has a definite structure and meaning when sub-
jetced to analysis. Professor Freud's monu-
mental work, The Interpretation of Dreams,
marked a new epoch in the history of mental
science. One might use the same words in
reference to his profound anaylsis of wit⁵.

Faulty psychic actions, dreams and wit are
products of the unconscious mental activity,
and like neurotic or psychotic manifestations
represent efforts at adjustment to one's environ-
ment. The slip of the tongue shows that on
account of unconscious inhibitions the indi-
vidual concerned is unable to express his true
thoughts; the dream is a distorted or plain
expression of those wishes which are prohibited
in the waking states, and the witticism, owing
to its veiled or indirect way of expression,

³The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, translated by A. A.
Brill.

⁴Translated by A. A. Brill.

⁵Wit and Its Relations to the Unconscious, translated by A. A.
Brill.

xi

enables the individual to obtain pleasure from
forbidden sources. But whereas dreams, wit-
ticisms, and faulty actions give evidences of
inner conflicts which the individual overcomes,
the neurotic or psychotic symptom is the result
of a failure and represents a morbid adjustment.

The aforementioned psychic formations are
therefore nothing but manifestations of the
struggle with reality, the constant effort to ad-
just one’s primitive feelings to the demands of
civilization. In spite of all later development the
individual retains all his infantile psychic struc-
tures. Nothing is lost; the infantile wishes
and primitive impulses can always be demon-
strated in the grown-up and on occasion can be
brought back to the surface. In his dreams the
normal person is constantly reviving his child-
hood, and the neurotic or psychotic individual
merges back into a sort of psychic infantilism
through his morbid productions. The uncon-
scious mental activity which is made up of
repressed infantile material for ever tries to
express itself. Whenever the individual finds
it impossible to dominate the difficulties of the
world of reality there is a regression to the
infantile, and psychic disturbances ensue which
are conceived as peculiar thoughts and acts.
Thus the civilized adult is the result of his
childhood or the sum total of his early impress-
 

xii

TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION

ions; psychoanalysis thus confirms the old
saying: The child is father to the man.

It is at this point in the development of
psychoanalysis that the paths gradually broad-
ened until they finally culminated in this work.
There were many indications that the child-
hood of the individual showed a marked resem-
blance to the primitive history or the child-
hood of races. The knowledge gained from
dream analysis and phantasies⁶, when applied
to the productions of racial phantasies, like
myths and fairy tales, seemed to indicate that
the first impulse to form myths was due to the
same emotional strivings which produced
dreams, fancies and symptoms⁷. Further
study in this direction has thrown much light
on our great cultural institutions, such as
religion, morality, law and philosophy, all of
which Professor Freud has modestly formulated
in this volume and thus initiated a new epoch
in the study of racial psychology.

I take great pleasure in acknowledging my
indebtedness to Mr Alfred B. Kuttner for the
invaluable assistance he rendered in the transla-
tion of this work.

A. A. BRILL.

Freud: Leonardo Da Vinci, translated by A. A. Brill.
Cf. the works of Abraham, Spielrein, Jung, and Rank,