Aggression, Self-destruction and Sublimation in Times of Catastrophes

• In Event: Legal and Theoretical Perspectives on the Role of Biological and Psychological Factors in Crime and Criminal Justice

Abstract

As the world grapples with wars, climate change, pandemics, and rising authoritarianism, many experience both anxiety and a disturbing fascination with destruction. Recent studies show that some individuals actively spread misinformation and conspiracy theories, not necessarily believing in them, but deriving satisfaction from the chaos they provoke. This interplay between aggression and self-destruction is linked to psychoanalytic concepts such as the death drive and sublimation.

Historically, sublimation has served as a transformative force, redirecting destructive impulses into socially valuable pursuits such as art, science, and religion. However, contemporary psychoanalysts question whether sublimation is losing its potency in a world increasingly driven by immediate gratification and regression. The pandemic illustrated these tensions through extreme behaviors, from hoarding toilet paper to aggressive outbursts and violence, yet also through scientific advancements and environmental activism.

This lecture examines how sublimation functions in times of crisis, from religious apocalyptic fervor to climate activism that subverts traditional artistic expression. By engaging criminological and psychoanalytic theory alongside social and political analysis, we explore whether sublimation remains a viable means to counteract destructive impulses and sustain the "optimism of the will" necessary for social resilience in the face of catastrophe.

Author

• Renata Salecl, Institute of Criminology at Faculty of Law, Ljubljana, Slovenia and School of Law, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK