~ 1905 ~
Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality is a work by Sigmund Freud that explores his theory of sexuality, particularly its relation to childhood. The book covers sexual perversions, childhood sexuality, and puberty. Freud distinguishes between the sexual object and the sexual aim in discussing sexual aberrations like pedophilia and bestiality. He argues that children have sexual urges, which gradually give way to adult sexuality, and identifies many forms of infantile sexual emotions, including thumb sucking, autoeroticism, and sibling rivalry. The book also discusses the pubescent years' consolidation of sexual identity under genital dominance, including concepts like penis envy, castration anxiety, and the Oedipus complex.