In my limited understanding of Freud's theories, I have come to the conclusion that he was obsessed with the phallus (penis) as the source of a man's power. In his theories, the castration in question is actually a castration of power, and not the removal of the phallus itself. He was a psychiatrist. Not a surgeon. Castration would be a symbolic term to him.
With that in mind, consider the true source of a man's "power". The horemones that lead to male agressiveness are generated by the gonads. The seed that a man plants in his mate are also generated by the gonads. The phallus is simply a delivery conduit.
So, even though Freud's misguided mind placed the power in the wrong place, his definition of castration was still based on the removal of the gonads.
The use of "common" definitions is a matter of impercision. By definition, a Chimpanzee is not a monkey, but an ape (as are humans). However, you often see them referred to as monkeys. Citing the (urban) dictionary you describe is like saying, "Well Bob says that's the definition, so it must be true."
<JohnBigbooty>So think about that, monkey boy.</JohnBigbooty> |
