Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) is known as the "father of psychoanalysis" and
his ideas, however controversial, were fundamental in shaping how the
human mind has been studied. The Interpretation of Dreams (1900) is a
seminal work; in it, Freud seeks to show how analysis of dreams reveals
symbols-keys to the workings of the unconscious mind. Beyond the
Pleasure Principle (1920) is an important turning point in Freud's
thought, as he argues that human life is not only ruled by the creative
drive for pleasure, but also by the struggle against destruction and
death.