The Future of an Illusion

In this chapter, Freud turns to discuss the role that religion plays in the formation of civilization. In the prior chapters, Freud has focused on how civilization develops as a means of “mak[ing] our communal life possible” (15), providing laws so that individuals will not commit violent acts against each other. Freud now considers how another main reason for civilization’s development is to tame the natural world so that humans can extract natural resources and wealth from it. However, it is impossible for civilization to completely control nature, and Freud describes how humans remain vulnerable to many natural dangers, such as storms, diseases, and earthquakes. Civilization can do little to protect individuals from these natural disasters, leading individuals to feel helpless and anxious in the face of “Fate.”

Freud argues that religion initially emerges as a means of helping humanity deal with these feelings of hopelessness. One of the core ways that religion accomplishes this is through “the humanization of nature” (16). By imagining the different natural elements to be ruled by gods, religion allows individuals to feel that there are clear reasons why nature behaves the way it does. Freud believes that such a humanization of nature mimics the experience that individuals have in their childhood.