The True Future of an Illusion: An Analysis of Freud's Critique of Religion

In his book Future of an Illusion, Sigmund Freud critique uses his method of psychoanalysis on religion. By comparing the relationship between human and religion to that of a child and his parents Freud effectively demonstrates that religion is a product of the human mind. After exposing religion as a an illusion Freud concludes that humanity will be better off when it has forgone religion. This paper will argue that Freud's assertion that religion is …

…be nothing but an illusion, that knowledge alone would not be enough to make that illusion disappear from the psyche of humanity. People would have to have a conscious desire to not believe in religion for it to be eliminated. This desire to discover the truth would be outweighed by the desire of a majority of humanity to rectify the inexplicable world of death and injustice to their own lives. <Tab/>