The Evolution of the Concept of Character in Freud's Writings

There now remains the task of recapitulating the route that has been followed. As many of the references to character in Freud's work are minor statements interspersed among other current preoccupations, it is unavoidable that the preceding survey leaves one with the impression of a patchwork quilt. Any attempt to synthesize may thus stem more from the writer's need for closure than from any valid description of the evolution of Freud's theory. However, I believe there is some purpose to be served in recalling some of the main way stations previously covered.

The early usage of the term character was nearly synonymous with its lay origin, not being clearly distinguished from behavior. Aside from a few minor references, we find the first serious effort to delineate a truly psychoanalytic concept of character in the section on sublimation in the Three Essays(Freud, 1905b). It introduces the concept of transformation of instincts and their relation to individual character traits. As the concept of ego was not developed fully, it was pretty much used interchangeably with that of character. Beyond minor references to the role of masturbation and synthetic aspects of a