Einstein and Freud Debate the Roots of War and Human Aggression

Thanatos Rising

I reflect on how a sincere plea for peace evolved into cynical rage, mirroring the historical shift from idealism to disillusionment. This leads me to the 1932 correspondence between Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, where they grappled with the question of why war exists. Einstein viewed organized violence as a collective psychosis and a failure of nationalism, while Freud challenged the notion that humans are naturally cooperative, suggesting aggression is an intrinsic part of the human condition.