Critique Freud – Strengths and Weaknesses.
The study of the human mind will always have its complexities and its
doubts on certain subjects. Like all psychoanalytical theories, it is
impossible to prove beyond a doubt, and much easier to uncover its strengths
rather than its weaknesses. Freud, like many psychologists that explored new
theories, had much more room for criticism However, there are strengths
that are very agreeable, since to many people he exhibited brilliance, and
was a founder of many psychological theories.
The low point of Freud which seems to stand out is that he only
studied upper middle class women in the early 20th century. Many would
argue that his conclusions were taken from a narrow point of view. All of his
theories could never be proven, because there is no way to form any sort of
concrete experiment. All of his terms were inferred as apposed to proven.
There is also the thought that, since he is studying so much of the
unconscious, isn’t it true that he might unconsciously overlook something,
or unconsciously focus too much on one aspect? After all, he is a human
being with a mind just like the human beings in which he studied. Was it
true that Michelangelo was unconsciously painting his mother in the Mona
Lisa, or was Freud himself interpreting it this way because he unconsciously
wanted it to be his mother? All of these ideas pose a problem in proving
Freud’s theories, and all have endless room for elaboration.
It is true, however, that Freud’s theories do make sense in observation.
If you were to look at a young boy going through the Phallic stage, you
would most likely find that he is very close to his mother. Freud himself put
a lot of time into all of his studies, and was an observer himself. He inspired
many others to follow in his footsteps, elaborate on all his theories, and use
his methods even today. Freud also frequently revised his work, and seemed
to let every possibility come into perspective. As far as proofs, experiments,
or tests, Freud, like any other psychologist, has little strength.
