Abstract (eng)
In this theoretical thesis, I examine Freud’s theory of the death drive and establish a specific reading of it. Furthermore, I work this reading of Freud’s death drive theory into M. S. Mahler’s developmental theory. For the interpretation of Freud’s death drive theory, I synthesise five aspects of the death drive with regard to Freud’s texts and respective secondary literature. In the process of discussing these aspects’ significance as to defining the death drive, the phenomena of aggression turns out to carry comparably less weight in the characterisation. On the other hand, especially with regard to the Nirwana principle as the death drive’s economical mode of operation, I plead for a stronger focus on the aspects of quietness, stillstand, and peace together with separation, splitting, and dissolution; additionally, I emphasize the passive character of the death drive. However, all five aspects should be considered when characterizing the death drive. In a second step I link this reading of Freud’s death drive theory with Mahler’s developmental theory and illustrate the effects of both the death and the life drive in the light of phenomena described by Mahler. In this exercise, I include earlier attempts that combined Freud’s theory of the death drive and Mahler’s developmental theory and examine their compatibility with my proposed reading. Due to the connotative structure of psychoanalytic theory I carefully consider the cultural and historical context of the theories in the examinations.