Abstract
Albert. Inborn death instinct. I’m so sad. Can we talk about it?
Sigmund. Reality can be cruel.
Albert. Instinct? It’s before self consciousness?
Sigmund. Ontogenetically?
Albert. Yes?
Sigmund. It’s developed before you are conscious about yourself?
Albert. Is it?
Sigmund. It seems so.
Albert. What is self consciousness?
Sigmund. That you are conscious of yourself.
Albert. When did that happen phylogenetically do you think?
Sigmund. With us. I’m most certain.
Albert. How could we know?
Sigmund. You mean that we cannot ask them?
Albert. Well, yes.
Sigmund. I’m sure but what do you know? Perhaps there are other species that are conscious of themselves.
Albert. When you’re self conscious, what are you conscious about? I mean, is your consciousness directed towards yourself or is it directed towards your conscious contents? If there is a difference.
Sigmund. Now you’re a bit rude? If I’m directing my consciousness towards myself there is something that I am conscious of that I am directing my consciousness towards. Therefore I’m directing my consciousness towards my conscious contents if I’m self conscious. If consciousness and self consciousness are distinct we cannot even ask ourselves if we are conscious without being self conscious.
Albert. I learned this recently. Concerning my own field. The categorical difference between things that seemed entangled.
Sigmund. What does this tell us about animals?
Albert. That if a cat sneaked in here it very well might see us even though it was not conscious about it seeing us. It would just see us.
Sigmund. You can’t trust them.
Albert. Do you also consider that the death instinct is prior to the consciousness we’ve been looking into? If consciousness and self consciousness can be separated ontogenetically.
Sigmund. Are you rude again? That seeing and knowing that you are seeing comes in a pair is highly unlikely. What’s your point? I’m fully believing that your point is fair.
Albert. You’re right in that I’m not trying to be rude. We can change subject if you like. This is important, though. And I think it is for you too. It’s impossible for me.
Sigmund. I’m sorry. Please continue. Please.
Albert. It’s nothing. It is I who should be sorry. I’m impatient. Here I am, your guest, and I’m having these ideas about the death instinct. But I cannot sleep. The thoughts are keeping me awake.
Sigmund. Thoughts about where the death instinct comes in ontogenetically?
Albert. Yes.
Sigmund. So what’s your worry?
Albert. It’s no worry. It’s existential. Who am I? An animal or not? Or both? It’s all from my work. I have had the thought that there may an area in reality that is both mathematical and physical. So, I’m thinking about the death instinct, is it biological or psychological? If it’s biological at first, how can it become something else? Become psychological? And for myself, am I biological or psychological or both?
Sigmund. I think you’re both. That we all are.
Albert. And the death instinct?
Sigmund.
