system, and its encroachment into the other realms of impulse is a fact of experience. The theory of Freud, branching off from this interpretation, according to which the motor forces of a neurotic system correspond precisely to their libidinous additions to other (non-sexual) functional impulses, has been sufficiently proven as correct, it seems to me, by the work of Freud and his school.[5] Since the appearance of the "Three Contributions," in 1905, a change has taken place[6] in the libido conception; its field of application has been widened. An extremely clear example of this amplification is this present work. However, I must state that Freud, as well as myself, saw the need of widening the conception of libido. It was paranoia, so closely related to dementia præcox, which seemed to compel Freud to enlarge the earlier limits of the conception. The passage in question, which I will quote here, word for word, reads:[7]
"A third consideration which presents itself, in regard to the
views developed here, starts the query as to whether we should
accept as sufficiently effectual the universal receding of the libido
from the outer world, in order to interpret from that, the end of
the world: or whether in this case, the firmly rooted possession
of the 'I' must not suffice to uphold the rapport with the outer
world. Then one must either let that which we call possession
of the libido (interest from erotic sources) coincide with interest
in general, or else take into consideration the possibility that great
disturbance in the disposition of the libido can also induce a corresponding
disturbance in the possession of the 'I.' Now, these are
the problems, which we are still absolutely helpless and unfitted
to answer. Things would be different could we proceed from a
safe fund of knowledge of instinct. But the truth is, we have
nothing of that kind at our disposal. We understand instinct
as the resultant of the reaction of the somatic and the psychic.
