death instinct

Meaning: In Freud's psychoanalytic theory, the death instinct is an unconscious drive toward destruction, aggression and an end to tension. It is paired with the life instinct (Eros), which drives survival, pleasure, bonding and sexual reproduction. In the theory the two drives conflict and mix in behavior. The death drive can be turned outward as aggression toward others or inward as self-destructive behavior. Both drives are energy sources that arise in the id.

On the MCAT: It appears in questions on the psychoanalytic perspective, alongside the id, ego, superego, defense mechanisms and psychosexual stages. A typical passage describes aggression, war, risk-taking or self-harm and asks which Freudian idea accounts for it. The death instinct fits the destructive behavior. Eros, and the libido energy tied to it, fits pleasure-seeking and reproduction. You may also be asked to contrast this view with other explanations of aggression, such as social learning (observing and imitating a model) or biological accounts.

Common confusion: Students read it as a conscious wish to die. In the theory it is an unconscious drive, and it is usually expressed as outward aggression, not only as suicidal thoughts. The name Thanatos is a later label for the idea. Also, the concept is a theoretical claim that has limited empirical support, so do not treat it as an established finding.