Sigmund Freud, or Sigismund Schlomo Freud

Sigmund Freud - Austrian psychologist, psychoanalyst, psychiatrist and neurologist. Born on may 6, 1856 in Freiberg, Austrian Empire.

Sigmund Freud is best known as the founder of psychoanalysis, which has had a significant impact on the psychology, medicine, sociology, anthropology, literature and art of the XX century.

Freud's views on human nature were innovative for his time and throughout the life of the researcher did not stop causing resonance and criticism in the scientific community. Interest in the theories of the scientist does not fade to this day.

Among Freud's achievements, the most important are the development of a three-component structural model of the psyche (consisting of "It", "I" and "Super-I"), the allocation of specific phases of psychosexual development of the personality, the creation of the theory of Oedipal complex, the detection of functioning in the psyche of protective mechanisms, the psychologization of the concept of "unconscious", the discovery of transfer and counter-transfer, as well as the development of therapeutic techniques such as the method of free Association and interpretation of dreams.

Despite the fact that the influence of Freud's ideas and personality on psychology is undeniable, many researchers consider his works to be intellectual quackery. Almost every fundamental postulate for Freud's theory has been criticized by prominent scientists and writers such as Karl Jaspers, Erich Fromm, albert Ellis, Karl Kraus and many others.

The empirical basis of Freud's theory was called "inadequate" by Frederick Cruz and Adolf Grunbaum, "fraud" psychoanalysis dubbed Peter Medavar, pseudoscientific Freud's theory was considered by Karl Popper, which did not prevent, however, the outstanding Austrian psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Director of the Vienna neurological clinic Victor Frankl in his fundamental work "theory and therapy of neuroses" to recognize: "and yet, it seems to me, psychoanalysis will be the Foundation and for psychotherapy future. Therefore, the contribution made by Freud in the creation of psychotherapy, does not lose its value, and made them with nothing incomparable".

During his life, Freud wrote and published a huge number of scientific works — the full collection of his works is 24 volumes. He had the title of doctor of medicine, Professor, honorary doctor of law at Clark University and was a foreign member of the Royal society of London, winner of the Goethe prize, was an honorary member of The American psychoanalytic Association, the French psychoanalytic society and the British psychological society.

Not only about psychoanalysis, but also about the scientist released many biographical books. Every year Freud is published more works than any other theory of psychology.

Sigmund Freud died September 23, 1939, in London, England, UK. The body of the scientist was cremated in Golders green, and the ashes placed in an ancient Etruscan vase, donated by Freud Marie Bonaparte. Vase with the ashes of a scientist is in the mausoleum of Ernest George in Golders Green.