Notes

The Oedipus complex is a psychoanalytic concept that was first introduced by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, in the late 19th century. It is a theory that suggests that all human beings, regardless of gender, experience feelings of sexual attraction towards their parent of the opposite sex and envy towards their same-sex parent during childhood. The complex is named after Oedipus, the character from Greek mythology who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother.

Freud believed that the Oedipus complex is a natural and universal psychological phenomenon that occurs during the phallic stage of psychosexual development, which takes place between the ages of three and five. During this stage, children develop a sense of gender identity and become aware of their genitals. They also begin to develop sexual desires, which Freud believed were initially directed towards the opposite-sex parent.

According to Freud, the Oedipus complex begins with the child's unconscious desire to possess the opposite-sex parent and eliminate the same-sex parent as a rival. For boys, this means they want to replace their fathers and become their mothers' sexual partners. For girls, it means they want to replace their mothers and become their fathers' sexual partners. However, because children are not aware of social norms and taboos, they cannot act on their desires, and these feelings remain unconscious.

Freud argued that the Oedipus complex is resolved when the child represses their sexual desires towards their parent of the opposite sex and identifies with their same-sex parent. This process, known as the castration complex, involves the child fearing that their same-sex parent will punish them for their incestuous desires by castrating them. This fear leads the child to give up their sexual desires towards their opposite-sex parent and instead identify with their same-sex parent, adopting their values, beliefs, and gender roles.

While the Oedipus complex is one of Freud's most famous concepts, it has been subject to criticism and debate among psychologists and scholars. Some argue that the complex is too limited in its focus on heterosexual, nuclear families and that it ignores the influence of cultural and social factors on psychosexual development. Others argue that the concept is based on a flawed and sexist assumption that all children will develop gender identities that conform to traditional male and female roles.

Despite these criticisms, the Oedipus complex remains an influential and widely studied concept in psychoanalytic theory. It has been applied to various cultural and historical contexts and has been used to explain a range of psychological phenomena, from childhood development to adult relationships and identity formation.

In conclusion, the Oedipus complex is a psychoanalytic concept that describes the unconscious feelings of sexual attraction and rivalry that children experience towards their parents during the phallic stage of psychosexual development. While the complex has been criticized for its narrow focus on traditional family structures and gender roles, it remains a significant and influential concept in the field of psychology.