The Future of an Illusion

Religion, which Sigmund Freud viewed as a false belief system, is "the illusion" that is referred to in the title of this work. According to Freud religion was a collection of "dogmas, assertions about facts and conditions of external and internal reality which tell one something that one has not oneself discovered, and which claim that one should give them credence." Having been first published in 1927, "The Future of an Illusion" examines the psychology of religion from its origins to reinforcing factors in society that perpetuate its continued existence. Readers familiar with Freud's earlier work will find similar themes in "The Future of an Illusion" which builds upon his beliefs about human behavior and applies them to the study of religion.