Assignment: Influence of the Unconscious

The discovery of the unconscious is typically attributed to Freud even though it has roots long before Freud was born. Freud was, however, influential in popularizing the unconscious. Freud and his followers maintained that much of what influences us is unconscious. The better we are able to discover these influences, the more we are able to moderate or change these influences in our behavior, thoughts, and emotions.

• What implications does this have for morals and ethics?
• Address the issue of responsibility - for example, what implications does this have for acting-out or criminal behavior?
• What was Freud's view of human nature?
• What role would this play in understanding the importance of therapy?
• How would Freud or a psychodynamic thinker evaluate the effectiveness of therapy?