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Work #379 · Late

The Future of an Illusion

Sigmund Freud
1927 (German; English 1928) · German
Psychoanalytic-cultural essay · Viennese psychoanalysis

Freud's 1927 psychoanalytic critique of religion as collective wish-fulfillment

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute The Future of an Illusion (Late)
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Substantival
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Non-Deterministic
Time · Traversability Linear
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Infinite
Space · Ontological Status Substantival
Space · Curvature Flat
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Local
Matter · Extent Infinite
Matter · Ontological Status Substantival
Matter · Conservation Conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Local
Observer · Time Instance Single
Observer · Space Instance Single
Observer · Knowledge Extent Partial
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Total
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Both
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency None
Observer · Moral Authority Reason
Observer · Theological Method —
Energy · Extent Infinite
Energy · Ontological Status Substantival
Energy · Conservation Conserved
Energy · Dispersibility Irreversible
Information · Ontological Status Substantival
Information · Cosmic Conservation Conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Conserved
Information · Granularity Continuous

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

⧖

Time

The Future of an Illusion

Historical-psychological development of religion.

✦

Space

The Future of an Illusion

The cultural space of religious belief.

◉

Matter

The Future of an Illusion

The embodied human psyche.

◎

Observer

The Future of an Illusion

Freud the psychoanalyst-critic of religion.

⚡

Energy

The Future of an Illusion

Energies of wish-fulfillment and rational confrontation.

⧉

Information

The Future of an Illusion

Psychoanalytic-secularist framework.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

The Future of an Illusion

Freud's critique of religion provoked extensive theological response (notably Tillich, Buber, Pfister).