Integration of Aristotle’s Four Causes and Ego Psychology Essay

Ego Psychology Theory is based on Freud’s structure of mind model of identity, ego, and superego elaborated in more detail. Individuals have different ego controlling between primitive drives and realities. Individuals always deal with identities, drives and egos. However, if one has good control with ego, they can express their desire, drives and morals in realistic and socially appropriate ways. If failed, one confronts difficulties such as conflict with inner self and loss of mature interpersonal relationship. However, throughout lifetime, individuals change their feelings and behaviors to better fit their needs or minimize their conflict between primitive drives and realities. The material cause for ego psychology is identity and ego. Individuals are born with primitive drives, sexual desires, and egos which enable to organize their identity, drives and synthesize judgment, defined as decisions toward another in feelings, or to be aware of drives that affects feelings in accord with reality. In other words, ego can give a right direction for or control identity drives, whether it is satisfied or not in light of reality. The formal cause of ego psychology is ego development which is follows by means of the individual’s needs, e. g. , affiliation with others, learning, etc. Hartmann says that we must develop â€Å"autonomous ego-development† (Hartmann, 1958, p, 101). The ego must be understood in relation with the individual’s needs and drives, traits, expectations, and values. According to Hartmann, people’s defense mechanism develop their ego. Hartmann pointed out that â€Å"the defense processes may simultaneously serve both the control of instinctual drive and adaptation to the external world. † (Hartmann, 1958, p. 51) The efficient cause is adaptation – â€Å"reality mastering† and a reciprocated relationship between an individual and his or her environment. The outcome of successful adaptation implies â€Å"fitting together† (Hartmann 1958, p, 36). If individuals overcome their conflicts, they are lead to their functions which are more or less closely related to the perceive reality. Therefore, successful adaptation embeds an individual in an environment. Also, it solves conflict among individual needs, capacities, and their environments due to the complicated tendencies of defensive egos. In early stages the ego is focused on differentiating itself from others and on affirming its separate existence though expression of drives. Later, the individuals begin to learn rules of conduct to follow in order to avoid group criticism (Martin,1981). The impact of interpersonal and environmental factors is thought to be crucial to the evolution of mature ego functions during the lifelong developmental process. The final cause of ego psychology is to find better adaptation and sustain ego function with regard to individual needs to adapt to their environments, drives, traits, and expectations. Other manifestations of social functioning problems and self regulation and control of drives affect other people’s perceptions is central to the development of an individual’s behaviors and are appropriate in certain circumstances. People, because of their inevitable and requisite relationship with the world, are subject to change their attitudes, behaviors, and even their egos in order to cope with the changes and demands of other people around them and in the group they belong in. References Irving M. Rosen. (1968) Ego psychology of the adult years.Journal of Religion and Health, Volume 7, Number 3 PDF (243. 6 KB) Retrieved May 2, 2008, from SpringerLink database. Hartmann, Heinz. (1958) Ego psychology and the problem of adaptation. New York, NY: International Universities Press. Martin A, James. (2000) Ego psychology notes. Retrieved Apr. 2, 2008, from http://www. brynmawr. edu/Acads/GSSW/jam/switr/991415. htm Martin, Grotjahn. (1981) The therapeutic group process in the light of developmental ego Psychology. Group, Volume 5. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from SpringerLink database.