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Anna Freud introduces Chapter 5 with the sentence: ‘The instinctual dangers against which the ego defends itself are always the same, but its reasons for feeling a particular irruption of instinct to be dangerous may vary’ (58, 54)1. The first of the motives for defence against the drives is superego anxiety. This forms the basis of neurosis in adults. An instinctual wish seeks to come into consciousness and be gratified. The ego would assist it, but the superego protests. Because of this the ego turns against the instinctual impulse, its motive being its fear of the superego.
The defence against instinct seen in adult neurotics shows how the superego prevents the ego's coming to terms with the drives and how it is the main cause of neurosis. It builds up an ideal in which sexuality and aggression are condemned. The sexual and aggressive restrictions imposed deprive the ego of its independence and capacity for enjoyment. As a result, analysis of the superego, with the aim of reducing its harshness, plays an important part in the therapy of neurosis.
There are some who hope that by appropriate education of the child a gentler superego may be formed and neurosis prevented. This view holds that the parents should set an example of tolerance towards the drives and give up their over-strict moral code. The child's aggressiveness should