Old Ideas

= death-instinct s.v. DEATH n. 19.

1935 Brit. Jrnl. Psychol. XXVI. 283 Freud's final duality was the division of the mind into two sets of instincts which he termed life instincts and death instincts respectively or, if one prefers the Greek names, Eros and Thanatos. Ibid. 284 He was inclined..to regard the voice of Thanatos as mute. 1955 [see DEFUSION]. 1967 [see EROS 1b]. 1970 G. GREER Female Eunuch 148 Our life-style contains more thanatos than eros. 1979 H. SEGAL Klein i. 20 The fundamental conflict, between Eros life, including sexuality and Thanatos self-destruction and destruction is the deepest source of ambivalence, anxiety and guilt.