Psychology

Despite the fact that love is regarded as a universal experience, theres no known standard definition that can incorporate all the aspects of love. Freuds postulations portray love as an aim or objective-inhibited libido. In this perception, love is described as libido where the sexual feelings have been concealed due to the forbidden means of their fulfillment.

The many research methods and theories used by Freud have always drawn controversies from various quarters since most of his research findings were drawn from self analysis. Such kind of analysis had concealed sources and could be manipulated in his favor. However, his ideas and concepts have over the years had a remarkable impact in psychoanalysis since most psychotherapists still refer to his ideologies.

Freuds interests in the concept of love developed after he started analyzing his relationship with his parents. He recollected his warm relationship with his mother who according to him was attractive and protective. Freuds relationship to his father was rather weak and characterized by several cases of hostility and jealousness. This according to Freud in his Oedipus complex theory was a common event in early childhood development. From Freuds perception, human beings are born with some varying proportions of desires and interests. During their development, they become obsessed with different and particular objects for pleasure. By way of example, infants in their oral stage derive their pleasure in nursing, followed by the anal stage of toddlers whose pleasure is derived from evacuating their bowels. During the phallic stage, humans derive their individual pleasures from the attractions among opposite sexes (Dutton, 1974, p.511).

The primary objective of this post is to discuss Sigmund Freuds postulations and theories on the development of love concepts. In an attempt to bring out the main subject of the paper, his perceptions on love will be clearly explained. This paper shall further discuss the Freudian psychosexual development model and attempt to explain how this model influences his perception on the development of love.

Freuds Concept of Love
Freud perceived love in four distinct ways. His first perception portrayed love as a synthesis of sexuality with tenderness andor affection. He also regarded love as a form of libidinal power usually aim inhibited and used for cultural development tasks and usually inclined to its original intent of a love object. Love according to Freud was seen as lifes natural feeling or Eros which were the driving force behind all humanity including any aggressive andor death instincts.

In the preliminary case in which Freud speaks of affection and love, he tries to associate the origins of love in the relationship that a lactating mother develops with its newborn childs sexuality. During the lactation process, the infant kids according to Freud apparently reach a confluence of satiation that simultaneously satisfies the kids sensuality and hunger. This experience defines the mother as the childs first source of sustenance and sexual love and affection object. Freud asserts that any further child growth and development phases, i.e. from infancy to puberty, are defined and driven by the practically impossible efforts to bring back together these two love aspects (Freud, 1905).

Freuds second portrayal of love is that of libido (a measurable form of energy needed for basic metabolic reactions in humans). Libido in this perspective attempts to hold and maintain together the various segments of living substances.

In as much as the inclusion of Eros in the Freuds love concepts and theories sound controversial, its inclusion is allegedly based on the natural inborn physical  affectional inconsistencies in the natural way of sexual development. To further defend his arguments, Sigmund Freud postulated that the prevailing phenomenon of egotism, narcissism and self-love could only be explained in terms of the libidos interminably unanswered quest for a union with the affectionate and the sensual. The fact of self centeredness clearly demanded the presence of powerful personality instincts coupled with the love instinct. Freud attempts to explain the two sets of instinct in using sexuality whereby he points out that the personality instinct often turns inwards and manifests itself as a sex object whereas the love instinct seeks fulfillment from other items and objects.

The otherwise engorged ideology of libido by Freud at this stage was referred to as Eros and had drawn major similarities to Platos original theory which uses the analogy between Eros and biological processes. In this analogy, Eros was kind of biological processes deriving their driving forces from chemically induced libido energy.

From Freuds individual perception, ego and personality is not in born in human beings. Personality often develops during the early childhood development phase. This development is derived from the preliminary disruption of narcissism resulting from the formation of the ultimate personality with a greater influence outside forces, usually parental expectations and proscriptions. Achieving the demands of the idyllic ego is regarded as a primary basis for libidinal fulfillment for the self-personality and ego

The fourth concept of love as depicted in the Freudian theories entails yet another controversial argument relating love and hatred presumably from the libido driving forces behind all humanity including any aggressive andor death instincts Eros. In later research findings, Sigmund Freud reluctantly incorporated in his theories, an instinct of antagonism and aggression in humans since it had equal weight to the love instinct. He argued that since humans allegedly emerged from inorganic substances, they were expected to return to their origins at some stage. In Freuds model, all forms of life are defined by the everlasting struggle between the desire to live, and the natural forces that result in death so as to sustain the species (Santas, 1989, p.254).

During the development of the ego, libido is directed to outward objects in a logical sequence. Libido in this case is first directed to the mother during the earliest development stage, subsequently to other family members, neighbors, family friends and lastly to other objects.

This sequence of events in turn eliminates egotism which according to Freuds love concepts is replaced by the attraction and love derived from other objects. Self- concept revolving around self pride, esteem, love for others and self confidence is derived from either of these factors. The factors include the satisfaction or reward obtained when one loves you back, the remainder of ones original primary egotism which does not fully disappear during the developmental stages and finally the satisfaction of the several fantasies concerning ones egos for instance the sense of virtuousness (Dutton, 1974, p.516).

Despite some criticism, Sigmund Freud and his followers agreed to identify in Eros and the general concept of the love of humankind by describing the model of universal love as the main motivating factor and realizable in ideal cases. According to his theories, any society that promotes the love instinct to prevail without any self-regulation and limits had the risk of simultaneously nurturing hatred in the community.

Cultural parochialism had several impacts on Freuds theories and love concepts. This impact was most pronounced in the infringement of women rights. Freud was authoritarian and paternalistic in the extreme, just like many other psychoanalysts of his time. His excessive obsession with sex made him to make various false diagnoses of his patients, often referring them as coitus interruptus and failures on the part of women (Dutton, 1974, p.510). Freuds controversial perception of libido was less a human presumption than a firmly male one. His arguments strongly suggested that the limitless amount of mens mental energy required him to successfully carry out his duties by dispensing his libido in a manner that is advantageous to him. According to his love concepts, whatever activities that men indulge for cultural purposes are wholly or partially derived from their own sexuality and women (Dutton, 1974, p. 514).

The Strong Maternal Link
The strong love between any mother and his child has always been a difficult subject to understand over the years. The relevance of this bond is still rhetoric to many psychologists who are still carrying out researches in order to internalize and have a better understanding of the subject. Sigmund Freud strongly considered the mother-child link as the springboard to all possible future relationships the child was to encounter. Freud asserted that children often developed strong attachments with their mothers since they are regarded as the ultimate source of food to children at this early stage.

In his love theories, children, especially boys want to gratify their individual sexual desires through their mother who had initially been considered as the major love object. With time, the child accepts the fact that its ideas were practically impossible and against the norms of the society. It therefore grows to become an adult and looks for another potential figure to meet this need. It is from this basis that future relationships are founded and modeled to substitute the initial mother child-bond, or love.
According to Freuds postulations, children who lost their mothers at birth or at a tender age and immediately got adopted had an opportunity to live a normal life. This was contrary to those brought up in orphanages since they ended up being socially maladjusted. This, according to Freud (1905) is attributed to the fact that children at birth have not mentally grown to identify their natural parents and thus could easily adjust to their adopted families.

From these arguments, children who are securely attached to their mothers may show some distress in the absence of their mothers but could still socialize and interact with strangers since they were assured of motherly comfort. This behavior directly contradicts those exhibited by children with weak maternal bonds andor love. The maternal attachment and love therefore plays a big role in the childs future relationships and influences many other aspects such as self esteem, confidence, altruism, classroom behavior and sociability.

Freuds Psychosexual Development Model
Freuds theories and concepts often had scientific models for analyzing various subjects. His main interest was the sexual desire which he identified with the appetites, instincts, and formative drives that had the overall effect of influencing ones personality and beliefs. This model is used to analyze the libido development during the various stages of growth based on average ages (Felluga, 2002).

The Oral PhaseLess than two years old
At this critical developmental phase, all the childs desires according to Sigmund Freud revolve around the lips and the mouth for nourishment. Anything that a child in this age bracket can get hold on using hisher hands is often directed to the mouth. This phase declares the mother as the kids first love object since at this stage, the kid is first exposed to its mothers breast (Felluga, 2002).
The displacement from this earlier object of love (i.e. the breast) often manifests itself in other habits such as thumb-sucking which might in this case be regarded as the second object of love and attraction to the child. At this stage, a second figure, usually the father is introduced into the childs life (Felluga, 2002). This according to Freuds Oedipus complex theory brings about some internal conflicts within the children since they usually tend to be possessive of their mothers and secretly want their fathers out of their lives.

The Age Bracket of Two to Four
This phase is also referred to as the sadistic-anal phase and is usually split between the passive impulse which is basically the love of gazing and the active impulse which is characterized by the impulse to mastery. If not checked, this impulse may develop into cruelty (Felluga, 1992). During this phase, the child usually shifts to a different object of love usually the kids contentment in defecation. This, according to Freud, is interlinked with the childs pleasure in bringing forth something of its own. This kind of pleasure is often shifted to child-bearing in women (Felluga, 2002).

The Phallic Phase Four to Seven years old
During this developmental phase, Freud argues that the penis or clitoris becomes the main centre of attraction and object of love to the developing children. Usually, they are captivated by the urination process which the might regard as pleasurable, in its retention or expulsion (Dutton, 1974, p.515). At this stage, the childs main fear is the trauma of castration as portrayed in the Oedipus complex (Felluga, 2002).

At around the age of five or six, Freud argues that the boys association and love for their mothers usually takes sexual connotations and may regard his father as a competitor or rival, all targeting the mothers love. Since the father is often regarded as an extremely powerful image in the family, the kid is forced to copy some of his fathers features and character and tries to identify with him (Freud, 1905).

In addition, the childs ego at this stage becomes accustomed to controlling the pleasure principles and follows the realities of the prevailing circumstances. During this age bracket, the child develops a super ego which helps him to understand the parental function that is in the long run manifested in the child conscience.

Age Bracket of 7-12
This according to Freud is a dormant stage in the sexual development of the child. At this phase however, much effort is put on either sublimating or repressing the preliminary desires by trying to adopt the realities of the prevailing situations. The developing child at this stage usually tries to establish his or her own independence by slowly freeing himself from total parental care (Freud, 1905). Those who were initially close to their mothers may work on reestablishing their paternal relationships by overcoming their childhood narcissism and in turn learn to love and appreciate others (Felluga, 2002).

Thirteen years and above
The preceding development stage allows the child to enter adolescence which is the ultimate genital phase. Here, the main object(s) of love are members from the opposite sex. Those over the age of thirteen are usually driven by the unending desires to satisfy their instincts in procreation (Felluga, 2002).

From Freuds psychosexual development models, it can be clearly deduced that he had the difficulties and challenges when it came to incorporating feministic desires into most of his concepts and ideologies. He argued that young ladies were at some point expected to surrender their very first object(s) of love, i.e. the mother as well as her breast and embrace the father as her appropriate object choice (Freud, 1905).

The mothers subsequent and final transformation into heterosexual femininity, culminating in child bearing usually contradicts her preliminary desires. The child in this case becomes her main centre of attraction and object of love (Felluga, 2002)

Understanding of Sigmund Freuds ideologies and theories on love requires a proper internalization and evaluation of the various philosophical frameworks that either motivated andor demoralized him during his various researches. His instinct theory was regarded as an analogy to the Darwinism extended to cultural and psycho-social affairs. His theories have however faced much criticism and have flawed in many aspects.  Despite this, many psychoanalysts have successfully employed his ideas when dealing with psychiatric cases and psychotherapy.

Freuds concepts of objective-inhibited libido were extensively founded on his preliminary research findings on sexuality and sexual development. Sigmund Freud extensively believed that sexual growth and development started during the infancy stage and ended when the person in question engaged in sexual activities (Freud, 1905). At this stage, the sexual partner is considered as a substitute love object replacing any other objects associated with love during child growth and development.