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Death Drive and Subjectivity
José Jiménez Avello1,2,3
1, Calle Valdevarnés 35 5D, 28039, Madrid, Spain. josejimenezav@icloud.com.
American Journal of Psychoanalysis
|August 3, 2026
Summary
This study challenges the concept of the death drive, exploring subjective reasons behind its proposal. It examines alternative perspectives, including those of Ferenczi, and offers personal reflections on this psychoanalytic theory.
Area of Science:
- Psychoanalytic Theory
- Psychology
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Sigmund Freud's (1920) seminal work introduced the concept of the death drive.
- The acceptance or dismissal of the death drive has been historically linked to reader subjectivity.
- Previous psychoanalytic discourse, including that of Sándor Ferenczi, has engaged with the death drive concept.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present arguments against the existence of the death drive.
- To explore the potential subjective influences on Freud's conceptualization of the death drive.
- To offer a critical re-evaluation of the death drive theory through a subjective lens.
Main Methods:
- Critical analysis of psychoanalytic literature, focusing on Freud's "Beyond the Pleasure Principle".
- Examination of Sándor Ferenczi's contributions and perspectives on related concepts.
- Inclusion of personal, subjective reflections to contextualize the critique.
Main Results:
- Arguments are presented for rejecting the notion of an inherent death drive.
- Subjective factors are highlighted as potentially influencing Freud's theoretical development.
- The paper provides a framework for understanding the death drive as a product of subjective interpretation.
Conclusions:
- The concept of the death drive is critically assessed and found to be potentially rooted in subjective experience.
- An alternative perspective is offered, emphasizing the role of individual subjectivity in psychoanalytic theory.
- Further exploration of subjective influences in psychoanalytic conceptualization is warranted.
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