Continental philosophers examine Freud’s metapsychology.

A discussion by several analysts on the length of treatment, based upon Freud's paper, which is also included. Contributors include Andre Green, Arnold Cooper and David Rosenfeld.

Selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title In The Freudian Reading, Lis Møller examines the premises, procedures, and objectives of psychoanalytic reading in order to question the kind of knowledge such readings produce. But above all, she questions the role of Freud as master explicator. Although Freud has been seen as a great synthesizer, Møller contends that his significance as a reader lies elsewhere. For Møller, this significance lies in the way Freud presses his inquiry to the point where he encounters something he cannot explain or that he can only explain at the risk of overthrowing previous conclusions. Such "moments of crisis" occur repeatedly in Freud's work, causing him to swerve from his original train of thought, or even to call into question the theoretical foundation of his interpretation. The dominant line of argument, therefore, is frequently punctuated with problems and questions. If we concentrate on these, Møller argues, we are forced to reconsider the traditional conception of a "Freudian reading" and to reassess our perceived notions of just what kind of reader Freud was. While The Freudian Reading is based on a wide range of Freud's writings, it concentrates on four central texts: Delusions and Dreams in Jensen's "Gradiva", From the History of an Infantile Neurosis, "The Uncanny," and "Constructions in Analysis." The discussion does not progress chronologically. Rather, it explores the ways in which these texts interact: how they reflect, comment on, and contradict one another. The Freudian Reading is a concentrated, subtle analysis of Freud's interpretive practice, with special reference to his interpretations of literary texts. It will be of interest to scholars and students of literary theory and criticism as well as to readers in the field of psychoanalysis.

In this masterful history, Eli Zaretsky reveals the power of Freudian thought to illuminate the great political conflicts of the twentieth century. Developing an original concept of "political Freudianism," he shows how twentieth-century radicals, activists, and intellectuals used psychoanalytic ideas to probe consumer capitalism, racial violence, anti-Semitism, and patriarchy. He also underscores the continuing influence and critical potential of those ideas in the transformed landscape of the present. Zaretsky's conception of political Freudianism unites the two overarching themes of the last century—totalitarianism and consumerism—in a single framework. He finds that theories of mass psychology and the unconscious were central to the study of fascism and the Holocaust; to African American radical thought, particularly the struggle to overcome the legacy of slavery; to the rebellions of the 1960s; and to the feminism and gay liberation movements of the 1970s. Nor did the influence of political Freud end when the era of Freud bashing began. Rather, Zaretsky proves that political Freudianism is alive today in cultural studies, the study of memory, theories of trauma, postcolonial thought, film, media and computer studies, evolutionary theory and even economics.

In On Freud’s “Remembering, Repeating and Working-Through” international contributors from a range of psychoanalytic backgrounds reflect on this key 1914 paper. Each chapter considers an aspect of Freud’s original work, addressing both the theoretical and clinical dimensions of the paper and incorporating contemporary perspectives. Bringing out all three aspects of the paper’s title, the contributors consider the issues raised by the so-called change in psychoanalytic paradigm, from the classic central concern of remembering to a clinical experience which prioritises enactment and repetition. The reflections on this important paper demonstrate how it goes beyond technique to open new vistas on the conception of psychoanalysis as a whole. On Freud’s “Remembering, Repeating and Working-Through” will be essential reading for psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists in practice and in training. It will also be of interest to readers seeking a deeper understanding of current Freudian thinking.

Élisabeth Roudinesco’s bold reinterpretation of Sigmund Freud is a biography for the twenty-first century—a sympathetic yet impartial appraisal of a genius admired but misunderstood in his time and ours. Alert to tensions in his character and thought, she views Freud less as a scientific thinker than as an interpreter of civilization and culture.

Deconstructing Normativity? brings together a unique collection of chapters in which an international selection of contributors reflect on the fundamental and often very radical ideas present in Freud’s original 1905 edition of the Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. The book has three aims: the contextualization of the text, the reconstruction of its central ideas and the further philosophical reflection of the contemporary relevance and critical potential of the 1905 edition. The authors challenge mainstream interpretations of the Three Essays, generally based on readings of the final 1924 edition of the text, and of the development of Freudian thought: including, most importantly, the centrality of the Oedipus complex and the developmental approach relative to a tendency towards heteronormativity. Deconstructing Normativity? makes an important contribution in rethinking Freudian psychoanalysis and reopening the discussion on its central paradigms, and in so doing it connects with queer and gender theories and philosophical approaches. This book will be essential reading for psychoanalysts in practice and training, as well as academics and students of psychoanalysis, philosophical anthropology, continental philosophy, sex, gender and sexualities.

The Fractured Self in Freud and German Philosophy examines Freud's transformation of German philosophical approaches to freedom, history, and self-knowledge; defends a theory of situated knowledge and agency; and considers the relevance of Freudian thought for contemporary cultural issues.

Developed in the spirit of C.G. Jung, and extended by the work of James Hillman, Depth Psychology: Meditations in the Field grows directly from the soil of the Romantic Movement of the 19th century, itself a rebellion against the legacy of Enlightenment fundamentalism, which emphasized the literal reality of the world, and feasted on Measurement and the quantification of all knowledge.

Psychoanalysis is often equated with Sigmund Freud, but this comparison ignores the wide range of clinical practices, observational methods, general theories, and cross-pollinations with other disciplines that characterise contemporary psychoanalytic work. Central psychoanalytic concepts to do with unconscious motivation, primitive forms of thought, defence mechanisms, and transference form a mainstay of today's richly textured contemporary clinical psychological practice. In this landmark collection on philosophy and psychoanalysis, leading researchers provide an evaluative overview of current thinking. Written at the interface between these two disciplines, The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Psychoanalysis contains original contributions that will shape the future of debate. With 34 chapters divided into eight sections covering history, clinical theory, phenomenology, science, aesthetics, religion, ethics, and political and social theory, this Oxford Handbook displays the enduring depth, breadth, and promise of integrating philosophical and psychoanalytic thought. Anyone interested in the philosophical implications of psychoanalysis, as well as philosophical challenges to and re-statements of psychoanalysis, will want to consult this book. It will be a vital resource for academic researchers, psychoanalysts and other mental health professionals, graduates, and trainees.