Civilization and Its Discontents

What is Freud's position on the purpose of or function of art in civilization. What role does art play for the artist and the wiewer?

In reference to the text; Civilization and it's discontents

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Freud believed that we derive satisfaction from illusions, such as the enjoyment provided by works of art, which provides temporary relief from the misery of the outside world. He believed that aesthetically pleasing "human forms and gestures, natural objects and landscapes, artistic and even scientific creations" can stave off suffering and provide temporary pleasure. The logical connection between psychoanalysis and beauty is, in the end, quite tenuous and insufficiently explored.

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