Human nature and the heroic
Depth psychology of heroism: Terror of death; Recasting of some basic psychoanalytic ideas; Human character as a vital lie; Psychoanalyst Kierkegaard; Problem of Freud's character, Noch Einmal
Failures of heroism: Spell cast by persons, the nexus of unfreedom; Otto Rank and the closure of psychoanalysis on Kierkegaard; Present outcome of psychoanalysis; General view of mental illness
Retrospect and conclusion, the dilemmas of heroism: Psychology and religion, what is the heroic individual?

Challenging the Freudian school of thought, this book portrays humans as constantly struggling against inherent ambiguities in themselves and the world, while trying to define themselves to achieve immortality. It sees the denial of death as man's attempt to distinguish himself beyond the grave.