The Future of an Illusion

In1927SigmundFreud,thefounderofpsychoanalysis,declaredthatreligionisauniversalobsessionalneurosis.TheFutureofanIllusionprovokedimmediatecontroversyandhascontinuedtobeanimportantworkforanyoneinterestedintheintersectionofpsychology,religion,andculture.IncludedinthisvolumeisOskarPfister’scriticalengagementwithFreud’sviewsonreligion.Pfister,aSwisspastorandlayanalyst,defendsmaturereligionfromFreud’s“scientism.”InadditiontoFreud’sTheFutureofanIllusionandPfister’s“TheIllusionofaFuture,”thisvolumealsoincludeskeycontemporaneousexcerptsfromFreud’sTotemandTaboo,CivilizationandItsDiscontents,andMosesandMonotheism.NotedFreudscholarandeditorToddDufresneprovidesacross-disciplinaryintroduction.Freud’sandPfister’stextshavebeenbeautifullyupdatedinGregoryC.Richter’smasterfultranslationsfromtheoriginalGerman.