Synonyms
Definition
Libido is the energy of the sexual drive as a component of the life instinct.
Introduction
The most commonly used definition of libido, found within the medical field, is an individual’s sexual drive, or desire for sexual activity. However, it is within psychoanalytic theory that the libido is explained in a significantly more comprehensive manner. According to psychoanalytic theory, libido is an instinctual psychic energy derived from primitive biological urges, which is expressed in conscious activity. Although the definitions are similar, in that libido is the force responsible for human actions based on sexual urges, the definitions differ in the manner in which those human actions manifest.
The psychoanalytic theory of libido originated in Three Essays on the Theory of Sexualityand proposed three conceptualizations of libido: libido as it functions under the pleasure principle, libido as a biological function, and...
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References
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Rosario-Perez, S., Munday, C.C. (2017). Libido. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_565-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_565-1
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