Home › Nonfiction › Totem and Taboo
Freud’s attempt to explain the origins of religion and morality
1913Slow paceThoughtful
What it is about
Sigmund Freud compares the practices of so-called primitive peoples with the neuroses of his patients. He proposes a theory of the origin of society in a primal crime. The book was influential but is now widely criticized by anthropologists.
Who will enjoy it
Readers interested in the history of psychoanalysis.
What you will get
Its anthropology is out of date.
Totem and Taboo Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Nonfiction · Psychoanalysis · Anthropology · Taboo
Length
256 pages · ≈ 7 h
More about this book
Characters
Sigmund Freud.
Setting
Early human society, as imagined by Freud.
What makes it different
A speculative work that links psychoanalysis and anthropology.
Feel
Bold, dense and controversial.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
The Elements of Style
Beyond Good and Evil
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
David and Goliath
Light on Yoga
The Communist Manifesto
The Social Animal