Death instinct: the uncanny in Freud´´'s metapsychology

Abstract

This paper discusses the hypothesis of death instinct as the"uncanny" in Freud's metapsychology. It deals with the boundaries over and under the instinctual representative theory, taking the two paths opened by Freud after the 1920's shift on psychoanalysis as a starting point. The vicissitudes of death instinct theory are examined,discussing its biological, unrepresentative and destructive features. The interaction among these levels is discussed, tracing the projection lines of Freud's thought movement and its interpretation by the postfreudian traditions. It concludes that some of Laplanche's theses are able to advance in the theoretical elaboration of death instinct impact on the structure of Freud's metapsychology.