Primary sourceBook1919
The Uncanny
Sigmund Freud · 1919
Freud's 1919 essay exploring the eerie feeling of the 'uncanny', building on an earlier concept by Jentsch.
This essay is one of Freud's own influential writings, extending his psychoanalytic theory into aesthetics.
About this source
What it is
This is a 1919 essay by Sigmund Freud titled "Das Unheimliche" (The Uncanny), published in the psychoanalytic journal Imago.
Why it matters
Freud develops a concept first set out by the psychologist Jentsch, exploring why certain things feel eerie or unsettling, including the uneasy feeling caused by dolls. The essay has become a key text not only in psychoanalysis but in literary and art criticism, showing how Freud's ideas spread far beyond psychiatry.
Look closer
- What makes something feel 'uncanny' rather than simply frightening?
- Why might an artist or writer find Freud's ideas useful for analysing stories or images?
- How does building on another thinker's idea (Jentsch's) show how ideas develop over time?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sigmund Freud on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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