Freud's Perspective on Women

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPenis EnvyTreatment of HysteriaThe Women in Freud’s LifeWomen in PsychoanalysisCriticism of Freud’s Views on WomenModern Perspectives

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Penis Envy

Treatment of Hysteria

The Women in Freud’s Life

Women in Psychoanalysis

Criticism of Freud’s Views on Women

Modern Perspectives

Sigmund Freud’s views on women stirred controversy during his own lifetime and continue to evoke considerable debate today. “Women oppose change, receive passively, and add nothing of their own,” he wrote in a 1925 paper entitled “The Psychical Consequences of the Anatomic Distinction Between the Sexes.”

Penis envy is the female counterpart to Freud’s concept of castration anxiety. In his theory ofpsychosexual development, Freud suggested that during the phallic stage (around ages 3 to 6 years) young girls distance themselves from their mothers and instead devote their affections to their fathers.

According to Freud, this occurs when a girl realizes that she has no penis. “Girls hold their mother responsible for their lack of a penis and do not forgive her for their being thus put at a disadvantage,” Freud suggested (1933).

While Freud believed that his discovery of theOedipal complexand related theories such as castration anxiety and penis envy were his greatest accomplishments, these theories are perhaps his most criticized.

Female psychoanalysts such asKaren Horneyand other feminist thinkers have described his ideas as distorted and condescending. The counterpoint theory to the Oedipal complex is theElectra complex.

Freud’s revolutionarytalk therapyevolved in part from his work with Bertha Pappenheim, who is known asAnna O. Experiencing what was then referred to ashysteria, she possessed a variety of symptoms that included hallucinations, amnesia, and partial paralysis.

During sessions with one of Freud’s colleagues, Joseph Breuer, Pappenheim described her feelings and experiences. This process seemed to alleviate her symptoms, which led her to dub the method the “talking cure.” Pappenheim went on to become a social worker and made significant contributions to the women’s movement in Germany.

Initially, Freud suggested that the causes of hysteria were rooted in childhood sexual abuse. He later abandoned this theory and instead emphasized the role of sexual fantasies in the development of a variety of neuroses and illnesses.

“His understanding of women was notoriously inadequate, but he did make great steps beyond what was understood about women when he came on the scene. It was very unusual in Freud’s time even to acknowledge that women had sexual desire, much less to say that the repression of their sexual desire could make them hysterical,” explained historian Peter Gay.

While Freud often claimed that he had little understanding of women, several women played important roles in his personal life. Freud was his mother’s eldest child (his father had two older sons from a previous marriage) and has often been described as her special favorite.

Freud’s relationship with his wife, Martha, was very traditional. “She was a very good hausfrau (housewife),” explained his granddaughter, Sophie Freud. “She was very thrifty. And my father would say that his mother would rather poison the whole household than throw food away.”

Freud was raised with several sisters and later became the father of three sons and three daughters, includingAnna Freud, who played a major role in carrying on her father’s work.

While Freud described women as inferior to men, many women were instrumental in the development and advancement of psychoanalysis.

The first woman to run her own psychoanalysis clinic was Helene Deutsch in 1924.She published the first psychoanalytic book on women’s sexuality and wrote extensively on topics such as the psychology of women, female adolescence, and motherhood.

The seminal psychoanalyst (and supposedly Carl Jung’s one-time lover)Sabina Spielreinalso had an important influence on the development of psychoanalysis. She was originally one of Jung’s patients.

During the early years of the Freud and Jung friendship, the two men spent a considerable amount of time discussing Spielrein’s case which helped shape many of their views. Spielrein herself is also credited with developing the concept of thedeath instinctsand for introducing psychoanalysis in Russia.

Psychoanalyst Karen Horney became one of the first critics of Freud’s views on feminine psychology. Melanie Kleinbecame a prominent member of the psychoanalytic community and developed the technique known as “play therapy”, which is still widely used today.

Additionally, his own daughter, Anna Freud, played a vital role in advancing many of her father’s theories and contributed greatly to child psychoanalysis.

Not surprisingly, some important figures in psychology had their own responses to Freud’s limited and often offensive take on female psychology. Karen Horney was one such critic, taking on Freud’s concept of penis envy and providing her own take on male psychology. Even Freud’s own granddaughter would later offer up criticism of her famous relative.

Today, many analysts suggest that rather than reject Freud’s theories outright, we should instead focus on developing new views on his original ideas. As one writer said, “Freud revised his theories many times as he accumulated new data and reached fresh insights. Contemporary analysts should do no less.”

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Khan M, Haider K.Girls’ first love; their fathers: Freudian theory Electra complex.Research Journal of Language, Literature and Humanities.2015;2(11):1-4.Kaplan M.Bertha Pappenheim: 1859 - 1936.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.Foazen P.Helen Deutsch: 1884 - 1982.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.Hall K.Sabina Spielrein: 1885-1942.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.Additional ReadingFreud S.An Outline of Psychoanalysis.New York: Norton; 1949.Freud S.New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis.New York: Norton; 1933.Freud S. Some psychical consequences of the anatomical distinction between the sexes. In: Strachey J, ed.The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud.Vol 19. London: The Hogarth Press; 1925:241-260.Grubin D.Young Dr. Freud.Public Broadcasting Service.Published 2002.Jones E.The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud.New York: Basic Books, Inc; 1953.Lehmann C.Women psychiatrists still battle Freud’s view of the sexes.Psychiatric News. Published July 20, 2001.Sayers J.Mothers of Psychoanalysis. New York: W. W. Norton; 1991.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Khan M, Haider K.Girls’ first love; their fathers: Freudian theory Electra complex.Research Journal of Language, Literature and Humanities.2015;2(11):1-4.Kaplan M.Bertha Pappenheim: 1859 - 1936.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.Foazen P.Helen Deutsch: 1884 - 1982.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.Hall K.Sabina Spielrein: 1885-1942.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.Additional ReadingFreud S.An Outline of Psychoanalysis.New York: Norton; 1949.Freud S.New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis.New York: Norton; 1933.Freud S. Some psychical consequences of the anatomical distinction between the sexes. In: Strachey J, ed.The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud.Vol 19. London: The Hogarth Press; 1925:241-260.Grubin D.Young Dr. Freud.Public Broadcasting Service.Published 2002.Jones E.The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud.New York: Basic Books, Inc; 1953.Lehmann C.Women psychiatrists still battle Freud’s view of the sexes.Psychiatric News. Published July 20, 2001.Sayers J.Mothers of Psychoanalysis. New York: W. W. Norton; 1991.

Khan M, Haider K.Girls’ first love; their fathers: Freudian theory Electra complex.Research Journal of Language, Literature and Humanities.2015;2(11):1-4.Kaplan M.Bertha Pappenheim: 1859 - 1936.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.Foazen P.Helen Deutsch: 1884 - 1982.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.Hall K.Sabina Spielrein: 1885-1942.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.

Khan M, Haider K.Girls’ first love; their fathers: Freudian theory Electra complex.Research Journal of Language, Literature and Humanities.2015;2(11):1-4.

Kaplan M.Bertha Pappenheim: 1859 - 1936.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.

Foazen P.Helen Deutsch: 1884 - 1982.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.

Hall K.Sabina Spielrein: 1885-1942.The Encyclopedia of Jewish Women.

Freud S.An Outline of Psychoanalysis.New York: Norton; 1949.Freud S.New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis.New York: Norton; 1933.Freud S. Some psychical consequences of the anatomical distinction between the sexes. In: Strachey J, ed.The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud.Vol 19. London: The Hogarth Press; 1925:241-260.Grubin D.Young Dr. Freud.Public Broadcasting Service.Published 2002.Jones E.The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud.New York: Basic Books, Inc; 1953.Lehmann C.Women psychiatrists still battle Freud’s view of the sexes.Psychiatric News. Published July 20, 2001.Sayers J.Mothers of Psychoanalysis. New York: W. W. Norton; 1991.

Freud S.An Outline of Psychoanalysis.New York: Norton; 1949.

Freud S.New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis.New York: Norton; 1933.

Freud S. Some psychical consequences of the anatomical distinction between the sexes. In: Strachey J, ed.The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud.Vol 19. London: The Hogarth Press; 1925:241-260.

Grubin D.Young Dr. Freud.Public Broadcasting Service.Published 2002.

Jones E.The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud.New York: Basic Books, Inc; 1953.

Lehmann C.Women psychiatrists still battle Freud’s view of the sexes.Psychiatric News. Published July 20, 2001.

Sayers J.Mothers of Psychoanalysis. New York: W. W. Norton; 1991.

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