Freud's Terminology: Did He Use "Subconscious" or "Unconscious"?
One of the most persistent misconceptions about Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory concerns his use of terminology to describe mental processes outside of conscious awareness. While popular culture often attributes the term "subconscious" to Freud, the reality is more nuanced and reveals important insights into the precision of his theoretical framework.
Freud's Preferred Terminology: The Unconscious
Freud primarily used the German term das Unbewusste (the unconscious) rather than das Unterbewusste (the subconscious). This wasn't merely a semantic preference but reflected fundamental aspects of his theoretical model. In his seminal work "The Interpretation of Dreams" (1900), Freud established his topographical model of the mind, which included three distinct levels of mental functioning:
The Conscious (Bewusst): Mental contents currently in awareness—thoughts, perceptions, and feelings we can readily access and articulate.
The Preconscious (Vorbewusst): Mental material not currently conscious but easily retrievable. Freud described this as a "forecourt" to consciousness, containing memories and knowledge that can be brought to awareness with minimal effort (Freud, 1915).
The Unconscious (Unbewusst): Repressed material actively kept from consciousness through psychological defense mechanisms. This content requires special techniques, such as psychoanalytic interpretation, to access.
Why Freud Avoided "Subconscious"
Freud's resistance to the term "subconscious" was deliberate and theoretically motivated. In his 1915 essay "The Unconscious," he argued that the term was too vague and failed to capture the dynamic, active nature of unconscious processes. For Freud, the unconscious wasn't simply material "below" consciousness—it was actively repressed content that continuously influenced behavior despite being inaccessible to normal awareness.
The unconscious, in Freud's conception, operated according to its own logic (primary process thinking), was timeless, and contained conflicting ideas without contradiction (Freud, 1915). These characteristics distinguished it from both conscious thought and the more accessible preconscious material.
Historical Context and Translation Issues
The confusion between "unconscious" and "subconscious" in relation to Freud's work often stems from translation issues and the broader intellectual context of early psychology. The term "subconscious" was popularized by Pierre Janet and other French psychologists in the late 19th century, and it gained currency in English-speaking countries through the work of researchers like Morton Prince.
James Strachey's authoritative English translation of Freud's complete works, The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (1953-1974), consistently translates Freud's Unbewusst as "unconscious," not "subconscious." This translation choice reflects Freud's own theoretical commitments.
The Structural Model and Continued Precision
Freud's later structural model (1923), which introduced the concepts of id, ego, and superego, maintained this terminological precision. The id was described as entirely unconscious, the ego as partly conscious and partly unconscious, and the superego as largely unconscious. Throughout this development, Freud continued to use "unconscious" to describe mental processes outside awareness.
Contemporary Misattributions
Modern popular psychology often incorrectly attributes the term "subconscious" to Freud. This misattribution appears in self-help books, popular articles, and even some academic texts that use the terms interchangeably. However, careful examination of Freud's original German texts and authoritative translations reveals his consistent preference for "unconscious."
Conclusion
Understanding Freud's precise terminology matters because it reflects the theoretical sophistication of his model. The unconscious, as Freud conceived it, was not simply a passive repository of forgotten memories but an active psychological system with its own modes of operation. By using "unconscious" rather than "subconscious," Freud emphasized the dynamic, conflictual nature of mental life and the active role of repression in keeping certain contents from awareness.
While "subconscious" has become common in everyday language and even in some psychological contexts, attributing this term to Freud misrepresents both his theoretical precision and his distinctive contribution to understanding the mind's hidden depths.
References
Freud, S. (1900). The interpretation of dreams. In J. Strachey (Ed. & Trans.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vols. 4-5). Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1900)
Freud, S. (1915). The unconscious. In J. Strachey (Ed. & Trans.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 14, pp. 159-215). Hogarth Press.
Freud, S. (1923). The ego and the id. In J. Strachey (Ed. & Trans.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 19, pp. 1-66). Hogarth Press.
Janet, P. (1889). L'automatisme psychologique. Félix Alcan.
Prince, M. (1906). The dissociation of a personality. Longmans, Green & Co.
Strachey, J. (Ed.). (1953-1974). The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (24 vols.). Hogarth Press.
Further Reading
For readers interested in exploring Freud's theoretical development further, the following sources provide additional context:
Gay, P. (1988). Freud: A life for our time. W. W. Norton & Company.
Laplanche, J., & Pontalis, J.-B. (1973). The language of psychoanalysis (D. Nicholson-Smith, Trans.). W. W. Norton & Company.
Mitchell, S. A., & Black, M. J. (1995). Freud and beyond: A history of modern psychoanalytic thought. Basic Books.
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