Ecclesiastes 7

A Psychoanalytic Interpretation of Ecclesiastes 7:1-29

This passage from Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 presents a series of observations and reflections on life, death, wisdom, and folly, offering fertile ground for a Freudian psychoanalytic interpretation. The text delves into the complexities of human experience, revealing underlying anxieties, desires, and the perpetual tension between instinctual drives and societal constraints.

Verses 1-2: Thanatos and the Avoidance of Psychic Pain

“A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.”  

The preference for the “day of death” over the “day of birth” can be interpreted through the lens of Freud’s death drive (Thanatos). Death, in this context, may represent a release from the inherent struggles and potential suffering of life. The emphasis on the “house of mourning” over the “house of feasting” suggests a valuing of the confrontation with mortality and the processing of grief, rather than the temporary escapism of pleasure. This aligns with a potential unconscious desire to confront and perhaps master the anxiety surrounding death.

Verses 3-4: The Ego and the Processing of Affect

“Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.”  

The assertion that “sorrow is better than laughter” because “by sadness of face the heart is made glad” points towards the ego’s capacity for emotional processing and the potential for deeper understanding gained through experiencing negative emotions. The wise, whose “heart is in the house of mourning,” engage with the realities of loss and mortality, fostering introspection. In contrast, the foolish, whose “heart is in the house of pleasure,” seek immediate gratification, potentially representing the dominance of the id and the avoidance of deeper emotional engagement.

Verses 5-6: Superego and the Rejection of Superficiality

“It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.”  

The preference for “the rebuke of the wise” over “the song of fools” can be linked to the function of the superego, the internalized moral compass. The wise rebuke, though potentially uncomfortable, offers guidance and promotes growth, aligning with the superego’s critical and guiding role. The “song of fools,” likened to the fleeting and meaningless “crackling of thorns under a pot,” represents superficiality and a lack of genuine insight, reflecting the uninhibited and often impulsive expressions of the id.

Verse 7: The Corrupting Influence of Unregulated Desires

“Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart.”

This verse highlights the potential for external forces to disrupt the ego’s rational functioning. “Oppression” can be seen as a form of external pressure that overwhelms the ego’s ability to cope, leading to a breakdown (“madness”). Similarly, a “bribe” represents an appeal to the id’s desires for immediate gain, potentially corrupting the individual’s moral compass (superego) and weakening the ego’s integrity.

Verses 8-9: Ego Control and the Impulsivity of the Id

“Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.”  

The emphasis on the “end of a thing” being better than its beginning suggests the value of perseverance and the eventual mastery achieved through time and effort, reflecting the ego’s capacity for long-term planning and control. Patience is presented as superior to pride, which can be seen as an inflated ego defense mechanism. The warning against quick anger underscores the dangers of unchecked emotional impulses originating from the id, which “lodges in the heart of fools,” indicating a lack of ego control.

Verse 10: Nostalgia as a Defense Mechanism

“Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.”

The tendency to romanticize the past and question why “the former days were better than these” can be interpreted as a form of nostalgia, potentially serving as a defense mechanism against present anxieties or dissatisfactions. This reflects a resistance to confronting current realities and a longing for a perceived idealized past, rather than a rational assessment of the present.

Verses 11-12: Wisdom and Material Security

“Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who possess it.”  

Here, wisdom is presented as a valuable asset, comparable to material wealth (“inheritance”) in providing security and advantage. Both wisdom and money can be seen as tools utilized by the ego to navigate the challenges of the external world and ensure survival. Wisdom, however, offers a deeper form of protection, ultimately giving “life to those who possess it,” suggesting its role in fostering psychological well-being and resilience.

Verses 13-14: Acceptance of Reality and the Limits of Ego Control

“Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.”  

These verses emphasize the limitations of human agency and the need to accept the inherent uncertainties of life. The inability to “make straight what he has made crooked” highlights the ego’s limited control over external circumstances. The advice to be joyful in prosperity and to consider in adversity suggests a balanced approach to life’s inevitable fluctuations, acknowledging the influence of forces beyond human control. This can be seen as an acceptance of the reality principle and the limitations of the ego’s desire for complete mastery.

Verse 15: Challenging Notions of Justice and Evoking Anxiety

“In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.”  

The observation that the righteous sometimes suffer while the wicked prosper challenges simplistic notions of justice and can evoke feelings of anxiety and frustration. This observation highlights the unpredictable nature of reality and the limitations of the superego’s expectation of a just world, potentially leading to disillusionment and questioning of moral principles.

Verses 16-18: Balancing Superego and Id Impulses

“Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself out to be too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.”  

This section advises against extremes, cautioning against excessive righteousness and wisdom, as well as excessive wickedness and folly. This suggests the importance of finding a balance between the demands of the superego and the impulses of the id. The recommendation to “take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand” implies the need to integrate different aspects of the self, acknowledging both moral considerations and basic human drives, under the guiding principle of “fear[ing] God.”

Verse 19: The Power of Wisdom over Worldly Authority

“Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.”

This verse reinforces the value of wisdom, portraying it as a source of inner strength and resilience that surpasses even the power of worldly authority. This aligns with the ego’s potential to gain mastery and navigate the world effectively through knowledge and understanding.

Verse 20: The Universality of Sin and the Limitations of the Superego

“Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”

This statement acknowledges the inherent fallibility of human nature and the universality of sin. This aligns with Freud’s understanding of the constant struggle between instinctual drives and societal constraints, suggesting that even the most righteous individuals are not immune to the impulses of the id and occasional lapses in superego control.

Verses 21-22: The Ego and Awareness of its Own Transgressions

“Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times your own heart has known that you yourself have cursed others.”

This advice encourages a degree of detachment from external judgment, suggesting that dwelling on the opinions of others can lead to unnecessary distress. The reminder that “your own heart has known that you yourself have cursed others” highlights the ego’s awareness of its own past transgressions and the universality of negative impulses, fostering a sense of humility and understanding towards others’ shortcomings.

Verses 23-24: The Elusiveness of Wisdom and the Limits of Rationality

“All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, ‘I will be wise,’ but it was far from me. That which is far off and deep, very deep—who can find it?”

These verses express the limitations of human wisdom and the inherent difficulty in attaining complete understanding. The speaker’s attempt to “be wise” ultimately falls short, acknowledging the elusiveness of true wisdom and the limitations of the ego’s rational capacities to fully comprehend the complexities of existence.

Verse 25: The Pursuit of Understanding and the Recognition of Folly

“I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness of madness.”  

This verse describes the active pursuit of knowledge and understanding, with a particular focus on discerning the nature of evil and folly. This reflects the ego’s ongoing attempt to make sense of the world and categorize different forms of human behavior, distinguishing between rational and irrational, moral and immoral.

Verse 26: The Dangerous Woman as a Symbol of Libidinal Entrapment

“And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.”  

The portrayal of the woman as “more bitter than death,” with her heart as “snares and nets” and her hands as “fetters,” can be interpreted through the lens of anxieties surrounding sexuality and the potential for entrapment by powerful libidinal desires. The woman symbolizes a dangerous allure that can ensnare the “sinner,” representing those who succumb to their uncontrolled impulses, while those who “please God” (potentially representing those with stronger superego control) manage to escape. This reflects the Freudian theme of the conflict between instinctual desires and moral constraints.

Verses 27-29: The Search for Order and the Complexity of Human Nature

“Behold, this is what I have found, says the Preacher, adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things—which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”  

These final verses summarize the speaker’s arduous search for understanding and the ultimate conclusion about human nature. The difficulty in finding a truly upright individual (“one man among a thousand”) and the notable absence of such a woman further emphasize the perceived challenges and complexities of human behavior, particularly in relation to sexuality. The concluding statement that “God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes” suggests a departure from an original state of innocence or balance, with humanity actively engaging in complex and often problematic behaviors, driven by their diverse and sometimes conflicting desires and defenses.

Conclusion

Through a Freudian lens, Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 reveals a profound exploration of the human psyche. The passage grapples with themes of mortality, the pursuit of pleasure and wisdom, the limitations of human control, and the constant interplay between instinctual drives (id), rational thought (ego), and moral constraints (superego). The anxieties surrounding death, the complexities of relationships, and the elusive nature of true understanding are all viewed through a perspective that anticipates many of the core tenets of psychoanalytic theory, offering a rich and insightful commentary on the enduring challenges of the human condition.