Issue #45

Abstract: The correspondence between Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, initiated by the League of Nations in 1932, is published. The letters discuss the problem of preventing wars. Einstein asks Freud about the psychological mechanisms that fuel warlike sentiments in people and the possibility of controlling these mechanisms. In his response, Freud outlines his views on the nature of aggression and violence, linking them to the death instinct (Thanatos) and its interaction with Eros. He examines the evolution from brute force to law, the role of identification and cultural development, and concludes that the final elimination of wars is possible only with significant progress in culture and the strengthening of intellectual and emotional ties between people.