Course Objectives: Introducing Freud’s concept and critique of religion on the background of his Theory of Instincts and meta-psychological principles.

Course Topics: Freud’s concept of civilization; religion as culture; the Primal-Horde, the killing of the Primal-Father and Oedipus-Complex; magic-religion-science; religion as neurosis; religion as an illusion of culture; the paradox of the conscience; the relations between Eros and the Death-Instinct; Jewish and Christian Monotheism, Moses and Jesus; the critique of religion; religion substitute.

Method of Teaching: Lectures, guided reading and classroom discussion.

Literature: Freud’s Totem and Taboo, The Future of an Illusion, Civilization and its Discontents, Moses and Monotheism. Secondary bibliography will be distributed at the beginning of the semester.

Student Assignment: A classroom-exam.