In the late 19th and early 20th century, the Austrian Sigmund Freud, physiologist and psychiatrist, laid the foundations of psychoanalysis as a therapeutic method through his studies and revolutionized the way modern man perceives concepts such as consciousness and sexuality.

In Introduction to Narcissism (Zur Einfuhrung des Narzibmus, 1914), Freud tackles the deeper issues of the relationship between the Ego and external objects.

In The Economic Problem of Masochism (Das Okonomische Problem Des Masochismus, 1924), an attempt is made to connect masochistic tendencies with the death drive.

Finally, Freud studies the phenomenon of Fetishism, which he attributes to the male anxiety of castration (Fetischismus, 1927).

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]