AND CULTURE
INSTINCT the
first
277
This again has been
two parts of the book.
theoretically justified in this last part.
Thus the building up
of the sentiments, the conflicts
and maladjustments which
this impHes,
depend largely
mechanism which works in a given
upon the
sociological
society.
The main aspects
of this
mechanism are the
regulation of infantile sexuality,
the incest taboos,
the apportionment of authority and the
exogamy,
In this perhaps
type of household organization.
lies
We have
the main contribution of the present memoir.
been able to indicate the relation between biological,
and
psychological
sociological
We
factors.
have
developed a theory of the plasticity of instincts under
and
culture
of
transformation
the
response into cultural adjustment.
our theory
logical side
instinctive
of
On
its
psycho-
approach
suggests a line of
which, while giving fuU due to the influence of social factors,
mind
does
away with the hypotheses
the
" collective
",
instinct ",
In
all
we
are constantly dealing with the central
of psj^cho-analysis, the
problems of
of paternal authority, of the sexual taboo
ripening of the instinct.
analysts on
several
points,
of serious revision
question
of
the
incest,
and
of the
In fact the results of
argument confirm the general teachings
need
"group
of
" gregarious
and similar metaphysical conceptions.
this
problems
unconscious
",
of
my
psycho-
though they imply
the
on others. Even on the concrete
influence
of
mother-right
and
its