Final answer:
Adler's view of human nature contrasts with Freud's focus on sexual and aggressive urges, emphasizing feelings of inferiority and the human struggle for superiority. Adler also valued social connections and conscious motivation over the unconscious and contributed to a shift in focus to the social and cultural aspects of personality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alfred Adler's concept of human nature is substantially different from Sigmund Freud's view. Adler, a neo-Freudian, disagreed with Freud's assertion that sexual and aggressive urges are the primary forces driving human behavior. Instead, Adler proposed that feelings of inferiority are what motivate individuals to strive for superiority, influencing all thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This concept was encapsulated in his theory of the inferiority complex. Moreover, Adler placed a greater emphasis on social connections and conscious motivation, arguing that human beings are inherently social and that development is more about navigating social tasks rather than Freud's psychosexual stages.
Adler saw society as interconnected, stressing the importance of working together and recognizing equality. Against Freud's prioritization of the unconscious mind, Adler noted that conscious processes have significant importance in psychological development. Freud's theories laid the groundwork for personality development, but Adler and other neo-Freudians expanded upon these ideas, introducing a social and cultural dimension to the understanding of personality.