Ego, drives, and the dynamics of internal objects

Abstract

This paper addresses the relationship between the ego, id, and internal objects. While ego psychology views the ego as autonomous of the drives, a less well-known alternative position views the ego as constituted by the drives. Based on Freud’s ego-instinct account, this position has developed into a school of thought which postulates that the drives act as knowers. Given that there are multiple drives, this position proposes that personality is constituted by multiple knowers. Following on from Freud, the ego is viewed as a composite sub-set of the instinctual drives (ego-drives), whereas those drives cut off from expression form the id. The nature of the “self” is developed in terms of identification and the possibility of multiple personalities is also established. This account is then extended to object-relations and the explanatory value of the ego-drive account is discussed in terms of the addressing the nature of ego-structures and the dynamic nature of internal objects. Finally, the impact of psychological conflict and the significance of repression for understanding the nature of splits within the psyche are also discussed.

On Dreams and Motivation: Comparison of Freud’s and Hobson’s Views

“…For Freud (1915), somatically based drives are the policy makers of desires and affective responses generally, whereas affects appear to be the drives’ embodied experience of their relations toward objects (Boag, 2008, 2012, 2014). Such primary drive sources are logically independent of their effects and so avoid circular explanation.…”

“…Thought is after all nothing but a substitute for a hallucinatory wish” (Freud, 1900, p. 567). To propose otherwise would be to posit a mind independent of its somatic-motivational foundation—a mind existing as a veritable disembodied Cartesian rational faculty—and such an account fails to address the necessary role of the body and its motivational engines for understanding cognitive activity (Maze, 1983, 1987; Boag, 2014, 2017 2 ). Freud’s major thesis that dreams act as the fulfillment of wishes thus needs to be understood within the context of his greater motivational theory.…”

“…However, Hobson (1988, 2013) also proposes that some behavior is ‘instinctual’ but other aspects not. For a critical discussion of this ‘ego-psychological’ position, (see Boag, 2014, 2017) and Maze (1983, 1987). …”

Australian personality research: Past, present, and future prospects

“…Anderson admired Freudian theory (e.g., Anderson, 1962d), and his philosophy is staunchly empiricist, determinist, and realist (e.g., Anderson, 1962aAnderson, , 1962bAnderson, , 1962c; see also Baker, 1986). Although Maze's influence has not been extensive, his work has been developed by Boag (2014Boag ( , 2017 and extended to dynamic personality perspectives emphasising the role of dynamic systems and situational factors for understanding personality (Boag, 2018). Although Maze's influence has not been extensive, his work has been developed by Boag (2014Boag ( , 2017 and extended to dynamic personality perspectives emphasising the role of dynamic systems and situational factors for understanding personality (Boag, 2018).…”

“…Anderson, in turn, influenced John Maze (e.g., Maze, 1983), and Maze emphasised the importance of motivational drives and conflict for understanding the bases for behaviour. Although Maze's influence has not been extensive, his work has been developed by Boag (2014Boag ( , 2017 and extended to dynamic personality perspectives emphasising the role of dynamic systems and situational factors for understanding personality (Boag, 2018).…”