he social link: A sociological reading of Freud’s thought

Abstract

In this article we take those theoretic questions developed by Freud of interest to sociology. From this author’s point of view, in the base of social order, connected with reality principle, there is the desire to be happy, which makes us build social institutions. Afterward, these institutions will be the source of most important sufferings. That is the reason why social order is of a critical nature, and has as most important obstacles, the omnipotence that matches with narcissism, the envy which accompanies to inequality, and the punishment need which is generalisded among the unprivileged. Taking into account the mechanisms shown by Freud, concepts such as conformity or conflict get a new dimension, since the internalisation of norms is not a guaranty of social order