The whole psychology of emotion and instincts is as yet in its infancy, a beginning has been made by psycho-analysis but only a beginning. What we may accept from psycho-analysis is the fact that people will, in action, pursue various ends which they do not consciously desire, and will have an attendant set of quite irrational beliefs which enable them to pursue these ends without knowing that they are doing so. But orthodox psycho-analysis has unduly simplified our unconscious purposes which are numerous and different from one person to another. It is to be hoped that social and political phenomena will soon come to be understood from this point of view, and will thus throw light on average human nature.
Moral self-control and external prohibition of harmful acts are not adequate methods of dealing with our anarchic instincts. The reason they are inadequate is that these instincts are capable of as many disguises as the Devil in medieval legend, and some of these disguises deceive even the elect. The only adequate method is to discover what are the needs of our instinctive nature, and then to search for the least harmful way of satisfying them. Since spontaneity is what is most thwarted by machines. The only thing that can be provided is opportunity. The use made of opportunity must be left to the initiative of the individual. No doubt understanding human nature must be the basis of any real improvement in human life.
