Some remarks on the Oedipus complex from an ethological point of view

Starting from the classical psychoanalytic view that, in human evolution, an overlap of sexual maturation and dependency occurred, the oedipal situation is regarded as an innate behavioral sequence that also includes appropriate parental responses. An integration between this level of development and the earlier sequence of symbiosis and separation is attempted. In this connection, Bowlby's concept of the subsidiary attachment figure plays a central role. The links between pathological developments at the oedipal level and those at the earlier level are investigated, and clinical examples are provided. In many cases, the Oedipus complex is considered to be the culmination of a bad symbiosis. The hypothesis is then put forth that the Oedipus complex, as a pathological structure, is an historical phenomenon which arose when cultural developments interfered with the appropriate parental responses. It is suggested that these developments were the changes which took place after the advent of agriculture, in particular the changes in family and character structure connected with the peasant adaptation. Finally, the relevance of these problems to training analysis is discussed.