Psyche, Will to Live, Will to Power

In one fundamental respect, Freud's concept of the Psyche is completely traditional--its acceptance of the thesis that human behavior is, at bottom, governed by the Will to Live.  Thus, despite the apparent influence of Nietzsche, that concept implicitly retreats from the perhaps most radical innovation of his predecessor--the thesis that human behavior is governed, rather, by the Will to Power.  The boldness of the latter is underscored by the ultimate subordination of its only peer, the Will to Evolve, to the Will to Live, i. e. 'survival', by Darwin.  Now, Nietzsche's focus on some of the degenerate modes of Power, and their horrible historical consequences, has obscured the richness of the concept.  For example, 'power' can mean simply 'ability', in which case the Will to Technical Reason is one mode of the Will to Power.  But, Technical Reason is know-how in the use of tools.  Thus, if Marcuse is seeking a Psychological grounding of a Marxist ideal, the Will to Power is sounder and potentially more fruitful than the Freudian version of the Will to Live that he does settle upon.