Neglected aspects of the superego

Topics covered in this essay on neglected aspects of the superego include the overemphasis on the harsh superego and the neglect of the range of activities of ordinary people that involve issues of moral responsibility; the need for a more complete developmental schema for different types of superego and for the benign, mature superego; the neglect of the complexities of moral responsibility and of the importance of conflicting value systems; the neglect of the central role played by the superego in interpersonal relations. Causes of the neglect of the superego include a concern with neutrality on the part of the analyst that leads to an overemphasis on other analytic perspectives at the expense of superego analysis; the assumption that what is moral is self-evident; a lack of familiarity with concepts of moral responsibility; and a need for greater familiarity with current research studies into moral education and superego development. Based on these causes, remedies are suggested for the neglect of the superego.