Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality

By Sigmund Freud

3) The Sexual Aim of Infantile Sexuality

Characteristics of Erotogenic Zones

An erotogenic zone, is part of the skin or mucous membrane in which stimuli of a certain sort evoke a feeling of pleasure possessing a particular quality. Any part of the body can acquire the same susceptibility to stimulation as is possessed by the genitals and can become an erotogenic zone, similarly erotogenic and hysterogenic zones show the same characteristics.

The Infantile Sexual Aim

The sexual aim of infants is to obtain satisfaction by means of appropriate stimulation of the erotogenic zone, selected in some way or another. The external stimulation, will furthermore usually consist in some kind of manipulation that is analogous to sucking.