Sigmund Freud 
Das Unbehagen in der Kultur 
Close Reading und Rezeptionsgeschichte

‘Das Unbehagen in der Kultur’ [The Uneasiness in Civilization] can be read as a review of Freud’s theoretical work and as the first summa of a not undisputed, but nevertheless established cultural discourse. In this new edition, Wolfgang Müller-Funk comments on Freud’s ambivalent Theory of Culture and outlines the history behind its origin. He sheds light upon the various – and partly contradictory – concepts that Freud unfolds within his study, and discusses key notions. For instance, Freud’s Theory of Culture holds a striking affinity with the English term ‘civilization’ and regards culture rather as a restriction than an enabler of freedom. In the second part of this volume, Wolfgang Müller-Funk gives an extensive overview of the reception of Freud’s Theory of Culture.

About the author

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Müller-Funk lehrt Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaften an der Universität Wien.