John D. Rockefellar

A detailed Summary of John D. Rockefellar

John D. Rockefeller is a prime example of what Freud's theory of the pleasure principle is all about. Freud refers to the pleasure principle as the id, which is located in the unconscious state of mind. "The id is concerned only with what brings immediate personal satisfaction, regardless of any physical or social limitation"(Burger, pg. 48).

John D. Rockefeller was born July 8, 1839 and lived until May 23, 1937. During this time frame he became one of the wealthiest men in the United States. Rockefeller grew up on a farm near Richfield, N.Y., before he moved to Cleveland Ohio in 1853. He attended Central High School from 1853-1855 and took some additional courses at a business college before he became assistant bookkeeper for commission merchants Henry B. Tuttle and Isaac L Hewitt in Sept. 1855. It wasn't until 1863, when Rockefeller had decided to enter the oil business, that he began to amass his fortune. He organized STANDARD OIL CO. (OHIO) as its largest stockholder in 1870, directing the company until he retired in 1896, but retaining the title of president until 1911 (Goulder, 1972).

It is a fact that Rockefeller did not grow up in a wealthy household and it is also obvious that although his education was limit

The pleasure principle is only concerned with the fulfillment of what an individual wants and does not take into account the consequences of fulfilling that want and that is exactly what John D. Rockefeller did.

The fact that he continued to retain presidency of his company for 16 years after he was retired clearly shows that he had a need for power and desired to stay at the top of the power pyramid. This is a perfect example of the pleasure principle because the id is only concerned with what an individual wants.

Rockefeller was a huge philanthropist and gave to many various organizations. He was involved with many charities to satisfy his desire for public acceptance. However many people still did not like him because of the manner in which he conducted his business. Ida Tarbell, America's first great woman Journalist, proved to be a thorn in Rockefeller's side. She made known to the public the ways in which Rockefeller conducted business. In her book, "The History of the Standard Oil Company", Ms. Tarbell reveals after years of research, the illegal means that Rockefeller used in order to monopolize the U.S. oil industry. Rockefeller would issue subtle threats to companies that he wished to acquire, often dropping his selling price to the point it bankrupted competitors, which would often force them to sell out to him. He also had secret transportation d

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Approximate Word count = 939
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: People