Totem and taboo
Totem and Taboo, published in 1913 and translated by A. A. Brill in 1918, is Sigmund Freud's attempt to apply psychoanalysis to the origins of religion and society. Four essays draw on the anthropology of Frazer, Robertson Smith and others: the horror of incest among Australian peoples and its relation to totem exogamy; taboo and the ambivalence of emotions toward rulers, enemies and the dead, compared with obsessional neurosis; animism, magic and the omnipotence of thought; and the infantile recurrence of totemism, which ends with Freud's hypothesis of the primal horde, the killing of the father by his sons and the guilt from which, he argues, totemism, sacrifice and religion arose. The book remains central to debates about Freud's thought. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first chapter is free.
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Frequently asked questions about Totem and taboo
Totem and taboo by Sigmund Freud can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read Totem and taboo online?
Yes. Totem and taboo opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is Totem and taboo free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of Totem and taboo is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is Totem and taboo in the public domain?
Yes. Totem and taboo by Sigmund Freud is a public-domain work, here in the translation by A. A. Brill. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read Totem and taboo?
About 4 h 09 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is Totem and taboo?
Totem and taboo by Sigmund Freud is filed under "Philosophy" in the Vinteuil library.
