The Future of an Illusion

In Chapter 6, Freud develops a unique concept of illusion, which he defines as being “derived from human wishes” (31), whether individual or societal. Freud is careful to distinguish illusions from errors. Errors refer to incorrect information, such as scientific explanations for reality that are later proven to be factually wrong. While illusions often contain errors within them, the error often results from the deeply held desire for wish fulfillment. One example of an illusion that Freud provides is that of Christopher Columbus, who mistakenly believed he had found a route to the Indies when he arrived in North America. In Freud’s view, Columbus’s error forms an illusion, as the error was based in his deeply felt wish to discover “a new sea-route to the Indies” (30). Freud also describes illusions that exist at the societal level, such as nationalistic views that one’s race is superior to others. At the core of Freud’s argument in The Future of an Illusion is the idea that religion itself is an illusion created to fulfill “the oldest, strongest and most urgent wishes of mankind” (30).

When discussing religion, Freud frequently refers to a set of “religious ideas” that he presents as the core of religion’s appeals to individuals. Freud describes these religious ideas as a set of “teachings and assertions about facts and conditions of external (or internal) reality which tell one something one has not discovered for oneself and which lay claim to one’s belief” (25). These teachings make claim about the workings of the universe, serving to structure religious followers’ worldview even though these teachings are not grounded in facts or rational arguments. Freud believes that the purpose of the religious ideas is to aid individuals with their feelings of helplessness.

In Chapter 3, Freud traces the development of religion, which he sees as having begun with humans’ need to make sense of the seemingly arbitrary dangers of the natural world. Over time, religion developed from polytheistic into monotheistic based around a conception of God as a father figure. Freud describes how religious ideas respond to one’s helplessness: “the benevolent rule of a divine Providence allays our fear of the dangers of life” (30). In addition, Freud sees the afterlife as a core component of religious ideas. By promising individuals that their good behavior will lead them to a heavenly paradise, it asserts the existence of “a moral world-order” in which justice always prevails (30).