Freud & Adler
Freud had invited Adler and other physicians to meet with him to discuss his theories. This began the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. Adler was asked to present three papers to the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society which pointed out the differences between Freud and his own theories. The differences were so great Adler resigned from the society and broke all ties with Freud. The purpose of this paper is to describe the differences between Freud and Adler.
The Freud’s view of human nature is deterministic and he claimed our behavior is determined by irrational forces, unconscious motivation, and biological and instinctual drives (Corey, 2009). This meant that things had causes and the causes are found in the unconscious. Freud’s levels consciousness and unconsciousness are the keys to understanding behavior and the problems of personality (Corey, 2009). Dream analysis was useful in getting at the unconscious, because dreams arise from the desires of the unconscious (Lunden, 1989).
Adler objected to the dichotomy between consciousness and unconsciousness as an old fashioned dualism in the division of the mind in two parts (Lunden, 1989). Adler felt the personality was not split into different parts but rather unified. Adler did not think human behavior was determined only by heredity and environment. According to Lunden (1989) he “stressed teleogy: how future goals can affect present behavior” (pg.146). There was no distinction between the unconscious and the conscious Adler thought of everything as a whole.
In the development of personality Freud contributed the psychosexual stages. These refer to the Freudian chronological phases of development which begin in infancy. There are three stages of development that Freud believed brought people into counseling (Corey, 2009). The first stage is the oral stage. The oral stage deals with the failure to trust others and self which can make it difficult to form loving relationships. Another stage is called the anal stage
The Freud’s view of human nature is deterministic and he claimed our behavior is determined by irrational forces, unconscious motivation, and biological and instinctual drives (Corey, 2009). This meant that things had causes and the causes are found in the unconscious. Freud’s levels consciousness and unconsciousness are the keys to understanding behavior and the problems of personality (Corey, 2009). Dream analysis was useful in getting at the unconscious, because dreams arise from the desires of the unconscious (Lunden, 1989).
Adler objected to the dichotomy between consciousness and unconsciousness as an old fashioned dualism in the division of the mind in two parts (Lunden, 1989). Adler felt the personality was not split into different parts but rather unified. Adler did not think human behavior was determined only by heredity and environment. According to Lunden (1989) he “stressed teleogy: how future goals can affect present behavior” (pg.146). There was no distinction between the unconscious and the conscious Adler thought of everything as a whole.
In the development of personality Freud contributed the psychosexual stages. These refer to the Freudian chronological phases of development which begin in infancy. There are three stages of development that Freud believed brought people into counseling (Corey, 2009). The first stage is the oral stage. The oral stage deals with the failure to trust others and self which can make it difficult to form loving relationships. Another stage is called the anal stage
Cited: Corey, G. (2009). The Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. Belmont: Brooks/Cole. Corsini, R. J., Wedding, D., & Dumont, F. (2008). Current Psychotherapies. Belmont: Brooks/Cole. Lunden, R. W. (1989). Alfred Adler 's Basic Concepts and Implications. Levittown: Accelerated Development.