This small book is Freud's quintessential work that introduces a new beginning and, in many ways, marks a turning point in the structure of his thought. It is rich in ideas, many of which were new, or at least their interweaving into a new composition was novel.

The outstanding characteristic of the book is essentially the innovative intertwining of psychoanalysis with philosophy and evolutionary biology. Thus, Beyond the Pleasure Principle, according to Freud's own words, represents his pursuit "to firmly establish some of the most significant ideas of psychoanalysis, but it goes far beyond psychoanalysis."