History

Write an essay of 2,000 words on one of the following topics. 1. What does Freud consider to be the greatest obstacle(s) to happiness? (Civilization and its Discontents). Do you agree? Give grounds. 2. “It is precisely those people who have carried saintliness furthest who reproach themselves with the worst sinfulness” (Civilization and its Discontents). What are Freud’s grounds for this claim? Are they justified? 3. What is Freud's understanding of religion? Do you think it is reductive? (Students who attempt this question should consult The Future of an Illusion and/or Totem and Taboo.) 4. “Love thy neighbour.” What is Freud's response to this injunction? Do you agree with him? Give grounds. 5. What is the big Other, in Lacan? How does it contrast with the 'little o' others we see and interact with? Is it a useful distinction? Give reasons for your answer. 6. Zizek claims that sometimes the mask is more truthful or important than the flesh-and-blood individual behind the mask. What are his grounds? Are they good grounds? 7. “Desire is the Other’s desire” (Lacan). Elaborate this, giving examples. Is the claim justified? 8. What is fantasy for Lacan? To what pressing question does it answer? And how does it answer this question? 9. Examine Lacan’s view of sexual difference, with particular reference to the reading ‘Beyond the Phallus’. Do you find Lacan’s account convincing? Give reasons for your answer.