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Freud's ideas on the development of civilization and its dilemma between freedom and restriction of drives, which derived from his study of the conflicts in neurosis, have been remarkably confirmed by the events and change in cultural climate of the last 50 years. Sexual freedom, in accord with Freud's conception of repression, has considerably transformed the manifestations of neurosis; however, it has not produced greater mental health, but only new neurotic constellations. The lessened repression of infantile sexuality has, as he feared, reduced the control of aggression. The hostility against culture, which forces the individual to restrict his libidinal and aggressive drives, has nevertheless grown, although the repression of drives is diminished. The task of reconciling man to civilization is not made easier through the liberation of drives. In a period of cultural stability, the infantile, irrational demands of the superego which conflicted with the mature superego could be worked out in the analytic process. The protecting and controlling function of the superego could be left to the influence of society. The present cultural chaos confronts psychoanalysis with entirely new tasks. Culture is based on a balance of psychological forces and is threatened if this balance is impaired by losing one of its supports. The decline of the superego disturbs the equilibrium to a dangerous degree.