The aim of this paper is to offer a philosophical analysis of the concept of risk, with the primary goal of critiquing the incessant striving for security as being just as dangerous as risk itself. Drawing upon Freud’s writings on anxiety and some of his most renowned social works, I try to show that aspiring to the ideal of a situation purified of risk is not in fact a solution, but rather a repression of the problem, as it constitutes the avoidance of a genuine confrontation with it. Furthermore, I refer to Christopher Bollas’ book on Meaning and Melancholia to demonstrate that a democratic approach to risk entails the need to resist the temptation to flee from the complexities of reality. Instead, it involves acknowledging, with a mature adult awareness, that our greatest vulnerability as human beings is in fact rooted in our aggressiveness.
Freud on vulnerability and civilisation / Lijoi, Federico. - In: IRIDE. - ISSN 1122-7893. - 37:101(2024), pp. 123-134. [10.1414/114895]
Freud on vulnerability and civilisation
Federico Lijoi
2024
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to offer a philosophical analysis of the concept of risk, with the primary goal of critiquing the incessant striving for security as being just as dangerous as risk itself. Drawing upon Freud’s writings on anxiety and some of his most renowned social works, I try to show that aspiring to the ideal of a situation purified of risk is not in fact a solution, but rather a repression of the problem, as it constitutes the avoidance of a genuine confrontation with it. Furthermore, I refer to Christopher Bollas’ book on Meaning and Melancholia to demonstrate that a democratic approach to risk entails the need to resist the temptation to flee from the complexities of reality. Instead, it involves acknowledging, with a mature adult awareness, that our greatest vulnerability as human beings is in fact rooted in our aggressiveness.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
---|---|---|---|
Lijoi_Freud-on-vulnerability_2024.pdf
solo gestori archivio
Tipologia:
Versione editoriale (versione pubblicata con il layout dell'editore)
Licenza:
Tutti i diritti riservati (All rights reserved)
Dimensione
204.34 kB
Formato
Adobe PDF
|
204.34 kB | Adobe PDF | Contatta l'autore |
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.