Oedipus Complex in the Twenty-First Century

In their book Homicide, evolutionary psychologists Martin Daly and Margo Wilson argue that there are few testable predictions that can be derived from the theory of an Oedipus Complex, and they found no evidence for the existence of an Oedipus Complex in humans. They do find evidence of conflict between parents and offspring, but this is not conflict over possession of the opposite sex biological parent, i.e. it is not Oedipal conflict.

The Oedipus Complex in the Twenty-First Century

"A large number of people these days believe that Freud's Oedipus complex is defunct...'disproven', or simply found unnecessary sometime in the last century". In a postmodern understanding, however, "the Oedipus complex isn't really like that. It's more a way of explaining how human beings are socialised...learning to deal with disappointment". The key element to be learnt is that "You have to stop trying to be everything for your primary carer and get on with being something for the rest of the world"

Comment:


I am not a Freudian but I am a Greek

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_complex

I do not hold with Freud's views on this subject. This means I think it is overstated adolescent fantasies and all very childish.

Andy (Perseus)