Monotheism, Jewishness and Oedipal Complex: The Narrative of the image of Father in Moses and Monotheism

Moses and Monotheism is a book of Freud's interpretation of social and political phenomena. In this book, Freud attributes the origin of the religion to the "Oedipus Complex," with which he expounds Christian and Judaic religious facts. He points out that in an early stage a boy develops sexual desire towards his mother. He always aims to take his father's place and vie for his mother's love. Therefore, the Oedipus Complex can also be called a "Mother-loving" complex, which has an impact not only on one's personality but also on culture and social development. According to Freud's description, during the early years of human history, the father had the highest power over the tribe and enjoys a monopoly of all the women. In other words, religion comes about from frustration of sexual instincts in the primitive age. However, the totemic festival has a special significance to religion, especially monotheism. Monotheism is the ultimate Religion of the Father, and a true example for the basis of all religions. The believers address God as their "Father," which is not a coincidence; because a monotheistic God demonstrates the authority of the "Primitive Father." The original incident of father-killing repeats itself in Moses, the founder of Judaism under similar historical circumstances. The trauma of father-killing thus unites Moses and the Jewish people. Furthermore, during the next several hundred years, the Jewish nation developed a religion that upholds one God only. Moses and Monotheism includes Christianity into the monotheistic tradition, and explains t the origin of monotheism and the historical strife, Freud gives an analysis of the essence of the Jewish character.