The daily worker., 1926-04-03
Psychology of Revolution

ogy. We shall prove that in all bour-
geois theories are hidden both the
fear of the capitalist before revolu-
ton and the distortion Of facts in or
der to discredit revolutionary action.
We shall commence our task with
brief exposition of the popular psyche
analytic theory of DR.. Freud by
first expounding this theory and then
showing how it is applied to the
social field.
This doctrine operates with mys-
tical terms of the "subconscious,"
"libido" (sexual force) inferiority
and other complexes," suppressed
wishes" etc., as with scientific discov-
cries, facts about which there is no
doubt. In truth, there is no more
speculative theory, no less scientific
doctrine, than this new psychology"
as its supporters please to name it.
Why, then, did it become so popular?
Why does the layman take more in
terest in this theory than in any
other?
The answer is that no other theory
contains so much sensational mater
iaI as psychoanalysis does. DR..
Freud, its founder, emphasizes the
sexual element (''libido") where
Others see entirely different causes
at work. But the psycho-analyst is
such a skillful diyiner, that he inter-
prets the whole spiritual domain by
these suppressed wishes. The whole
"subconscious life," aserts the psyche
analyst, appears in disguised sym
bolic form (why symbolic and how do
they know that it is symbolic they do
not tell us). Our dreams are phe-
nomena OF illegal ('ssuppressed'')
wishes and in the absence of the
"censor" moral guardian-they
sneak thru the forbidden border-lne
of obscurity. These dreams, accord
ing to them, are not chance combina-
tions of a wondering mind, but rec
ords of the past. events symbolicaIy
disguised and therefore meaningful
For instance, a long forgotten youth
full infatuation, about which we our
selves were not aware" that is a
suppressed WISH" finds the censor"
after many years of suppression fast
asleep. 1t then crowds thru many
such suppressed wishes to the fore of
ones consciousness and results in a
dream. (Why this "wish" and no
other they do not know. But this
long forgotten experience no longer
appears in its original form, whom we
could greet as an old time friend or
jeer as our enemy, but it appears in
fantastic, novel way. This happens
with everybody but when the nerves
are shattered, the idle and supersti-
tious runs to the skillful magician for
deciphering the script and he does it
by making story out Of it. Who is
there to contradict him that the mean
ing is not so? One cannot verify it
himself, not even by his past expert
ence, since that experience was sur
pressed" from the beginning, that is,
consciously one never beheld the
experience and never will.
OF course, this presupposes a hid
den psyche soul" or spiritual en-
tity which manages these affairs. As
far as this theory has to deal with
an anti-materialistic conception, mys-
tic elements of consciousness" or
"subconsciousness" it is a reaction
ary theory, and we would pass it in
silence.
But some step out with this theory
and lay it at the foundation Of their
counter-revolutionary doctrine, show
ing that our ideals are such dreams,
and both the crowd" and the leader
are obssessed by delusions. One of
the quacks is Mr.. +. ID. Martin, chair