The fate of the unconscious in the human sciences

In this essay the author seeks to answer some of the criticisms of Freud's central concepts, theories, and methods that have been raised by twentieth century philosophy. He argues that many of these concepts and theories, particularly the concept of the unconscious, represent indispensable assumptions shared by the human sciences, even when they are not directly addressed by them. Further, he argues that in Freud's ideas we find one of the most advanced positions in our understanding of culture, its illusions and discontents, and a profound attempt to bridge the distance between a description of social reality and its critical appraisal.