The instinctual life force that energises the id is called :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Libido
Freud assumed that the id is energised by two instinctual forces, the life instinct and the death instinct, and he focused more on the life (or sexual) instinct. The instinctual life force that energises the id is called libido. It works on the pleasure principle and seeks immediate gratification.
Option (1) Ego — Incorrect. The ego grows out of the id and works by the reality principle, directing the id towards more appropriate ways of behaving. It is a structure of personality, not an instinctual force.
Option (3) Superego — Incorrect. The superego is the moral branch of mental functioning, which tells the id and the ego whether a gratification is ethical. It controls the id rather than energising it.
Option (4) Defence mechanisms — Incorrect. Defence mechanisms are ways in which the ego deals with anxiety, such as repression, projection and denial. They protect the person from anxiety; they are not the force behind the id.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 02-06-2023 (Slot 3) and 18-06-2023 (Slot 2).
NCERT (2025-26): “Structure of Personality … Thus, in terms of individual functioning Freud thought of the unconscious as being composed of three competing forces. In some people, the id is stronger than the superego; in others, it is the superego. The relative strength of the id, ego and superego determines each person’s stability. Freud also assumed that id is energised by two instinctual forces, called life instinct and death instinct. He paid less attention to the death instinct and focused more on the life (or sexual) instinct. The instinctual life force that energises the id is called libido. It works on the pleasure principle, and seeks immediate gratification.” |