Civilization and Its Discontents is Freud's essential statement of what the insights of psychoanalysis mean for society present and future. As the perils and promises of the 21st century come into view, Civilization and Its Discontents commands renewed attention. Since its publication in 1930, Freud's cold reminder that we cannot assume the forward march of reason and enlightenment has never been more pertinent. The Norton Critical Edition captures how Civilization and Its Discontents has been seminal in social thought and how it continues to illuminate our contemporary reality. -Roosevelt Montas, Columbia University
