Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler—Comparison and contrast of theories

Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler—Comparison and contrast of theories

Introduction:

The search for answers to the questions of human nature and the way of thinking is an old one, and numerous scientists, philosophers and psychologists have contributed to the field by presenting their respective views and arguments. The quest dates back to 500 years, starting from the time of Socrates and Plato—the greatest scholars of all times and continuing to date.

Different scholars have viewed the subject from their own distinct perspective, agreeing with their fellows and some points and disagreeing at others. Among the 21st century psychologists, Alfred Adler and Sigmund Freud are two essential names, which played an important part in looking for the answers to human psychology in their own ways. The two psychologists have some common and some uncommon points, which would be discussed in detail, in the following paragraphs:

The Theories:

Sigmund Freud:

Sigmund Freud is a known as a giant in the field of psychology, who made breakthrough achievements in answering questions regarding human consciousness and unconsciousness. He presented the idea of ego, and came up with the idea that the scientific and fact based information regarding ego could only be obtained by gaining isolation of the phenomenon of mind and consciousness. The theory basically relates to the fact that there is much more to one's personality than the eye can see—there is ego and super ego, which are determined with the passage of time.

Freud mainly viewed the whole of the human psyche from a sexual perspective, and the concept of id, ego and super ego are also linked to the psycho-sexual perspective. He claimed that the human mind is divided into three major components, the id, ego and the super ego, with all of these parts being in constant conflict with each other and in constant need of proper shaping and treatment. According to Freud, Id is the first and the foremost lens used to view the world, which is innate and inborn and operates solely on natural instincts. Then there comes ego, which is the refined form of Id and works in accordance with the norms and values of the society, thus preventing Id from working on the instincts. Then comes the super- ego, which ensures that the ego is working in perfect harmony with the laws of the society or the environment without leaving any loopholes. In other words, superego calls for perfection, thus forming part of the conscious mind of human beings.

Freud's main goal was to get a complete and in-depth understanding of the human conscious mind and he also devised certain methods of treating mind related and psychological disorders (Goodwin, 2008).

Alfred Adler:

Alfred Adler was a medical doctor and also a psychotherapist, who is known as the founder of individual psychology. He named the field as 'individual psychology' because he aimed to get an understanding of each and every patient holistically, without any outside influence and treating each patient according to his distinct needs and ...