Building on the crucial insight that jokes use many of thesame mechanisms he had already discovered in dreams, Freuddeveloped one of the richest and most comprehensive theories ofhumor that has ever been produced. Jokes, he argues, provideimmense pleasure by allowing us to express many of our deepestsexual, aggressive and cynical thoughts and feelings which wouldotherwise remain repressed. In elaborating this central thesis, hebrings together a dazzling set of puns, anecdotes, snappyone-liners, spoonerisms and beloved stories of Jewish beggars andmarriage-brokers. Many remain highly amusing, while others throw avivid light on the lost world of early twentieth-centuryVienna.
Conceived originally as a serious presentation of thedevelopment of philosophy for Catholic seminary students, FrederickCopleston's nine-volume A History Of Philosophy has journeyed farbeyond the modest purpose of its author to universal acclaim as thebest history of philosophy in English.
A brilliant account of the life of one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century. Popper also explains some of the central ideas in his work, making this ideal reading for anyone coming to his life and work for the first time.
In On the Nature of the Psyche Jung presents a masterly overview of his theories of the unconscious, and its relation to the conscious mind. Jung's discovery of the 'collective unconscious', a psychic inheritance common to all humankind, transformed the understanding of the self and the way we interpret the world. In On the Nature of the Psyche Jung describes this remarkable theory in his own words, and presents a masterly overview of his theories of the unconscious, and its relation to the conscious mind. Also contained in this collection is On Psychic Energy , where Jung defends his interpretation of the libido, a key factor in the breakdown of his relations with Freud. For anyone seeking to understand Jung's insights into the human mind, this volume is essential reading.
