ends which have social approval. The psyche has three
components – the Id (the instinctual drives of Psyche which are
impersonal), the ego and the super-ego.
The libido finds its typical expression in the sexual activity of the
adult. It can, therefore, be regarded as sex energy. For this reason,
Freud was, rather unfairly, accused of being a pansexualist.
The ego and super-ego possess no libidinal energy at the
beginning. But libido itself is highly transferable. It can be detached
from the impulse which owns it and can be transferred to another
which society approves of. This process is called sublimation. The
ego suppresses the libidinal urges and diverts the energy thus
released into socially approved channels. Civilisation is built up on
the repression of the sex drive. The sexual impulses, however,
cannot be extinguished. In this way arises a never-ending conflict
between the demands of the libido and the demands of civilised
society. Civilisation, however, rests on insecure ground. The
repressed sex urge may erupt any time and bring down its imposing
structure of civilisation. Internal conflict or conflict in the mind of
man is the price we have to pay for civilisation. This conflict is
accentuated with every increase in the complexity of social
organisation. However, this is not the whole story. Freud believes
that as a living organism man has inherited a deeper and more
fundamental conflict. He defines instinct as the primitive tendency
to revert to the previous state of existence and the former level of
functioning. A living organism is constantly in an unstable
condition. With the first stirrings of life in the erstwhile inanimate
mass of matter, it felt the imperative urge to revert to the previous
state of stability and lifelessness. Freud believes that the death urge
lies at the root of our being. Death promises the final release from
tension which is inseparable from life. The longing for death is the
deepest longing in the Psyche. We are reminded of Buddha’s view
of life and his longing for Nirvana. Freud may have been influenced
by Schopenhauer’s pessimistic philosophy, as, according to him, we
are called upon to say Nay to life. Consciously we may be aiming at
and striving for self-development, but unconsciously we are moving
towards the goal of self-annihilation. Which of the three
alternatives open to us should we choose – acceptance, rejection or
non-committal attitude? It may be pointed out that man naturally
Islam: A Challenge to Religion 58