Ego, Happiness Principle, Reality Principle

As has been previously discussed, Freud does not consider the possibility that the Ego is fundamentally governed by the Happiness Principle, which seeks internal harmony.  A homeostatic mechanism such as the inner ear is evidence of such a principle, and that one might resist eating unhealthful food shows that repression that is independent of external factors is likewise an internal factor in behavior.  Accordingly, the Reality Principle mediates relations not between the gratification-seeking of the Id and society, but between the latter and the harmony-seeking of the Ego--even the fear of punishment for tabooed wishes is that which might be localized at a different part of the organism than that which would be the site of gratification if unrepressed.  So, if the Id is a threat to Civilization, it is only because of a failure of the Happiness Principle, which could be due to some internal malfunction, or because social conditions render harmonization impossible.