Freudian psychoanalysis is dead. Murdered initially in the manner of Caesar, with multiple assassins impaling the theory with their attacks. Simone de Beauvoir was one of the assassins, early to the regicide with a blade forged from positivism, existentialism, and feminism; but certainly not the first to deliver a blow. The echoes of the passing of Freudian psychoanalysis reverberate to this day, as does Caesar’s influence. The influence of Freudian psychoanalysis can be seen throughout western society, even in the assassins’ existentialist and feminist descendants. "…when beggars die, there are no comets seen; the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes"1 This essay will place Beauvoir’s criticism of Freudian Psychoanalysis (FP), The Psychoanalytic Point of View in context by discussing criticisms of FP made prior to Beauvoir’s work as well as those made after. Through this analysis, Beauvoir’s work will be portrayed as influenced by the spirit of the age in which it arose. This essay will show her criticisms of Freud to be only partially informed given postmodern hindsight. However, her work is still applicable today, as other scholars did not seriously echo several of Beauvoir’s criticisms until forty years after they were espoused. Criticism of Freud Prior to The Second Sex “And public reasons shall be rendered of Caesar's death.” Adler, Jung, and Horney; initial adherents of FP, were three of the first people to realize the shortcomings of FP. All three argued that FP was inadequate in a variety of ways. Adler emphasized the social and political factors that shape people’s lives, while Jung argued for a greater focus on the self and the impact of spirituality (Mitchell & Black, 1996 p. 21). Ho... ... middle of paper ... ... York: Basic Books. Sartre, J. (1981). Being and nothingness: an essay in phenomenological ontology /by Jean-Paul Satre; translated and with an introduction by Hazel E. Barnes. New York: Philosophical Library. Shakespeare, W. (2007). Julius Caesar [electronic resource] / William Shakespeare. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: Global Media, 2007. Thompson, 2007 PAGE NUMBER Webster, R. (1996). Why Freud was wrong: sin, science, and psychoanalysis. London: Harper Collins. Zakin, E. "Psychoanalytic Feminism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (Ed.), Retrieved from: http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2011/entries/feminism-psychoanalysis/ 1 All quotes in greyed boxes are taken from Shakespeare, W. (2007). Julius Caesar [electronic resource] / William Shakespeare. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: Global Media, 2007.
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Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”. Elements of Literature. Ed. Deborah Appleman. 4th ed. Texas: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2009. 843-963.
Cook, James Wyatt “Caesar, Julius” ” Encyclopedia of Ancient Literature, New York: Facts on File. 2008 Bloom’s Literature Webb May 4, 2014
Luyten, P. (2015). Unholy questions about five central tenets of psychoanalysis that need to be empirically verified. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 35, 5-23. doi:http://dx.doi.org.vortex3.uco.edu/10.1080/07351690.2015.987590
Because psychoanalysis was new, not as organized, and slow to catch on, many meetings were held in a casual setting between only a handful of professional acquaintances (McGovern). These small meetings eventually opened up and offered a safe place for women to participate in a relaxed and accepting professional environment. The opportunity for women to share their brilliant minds “allowed women to demolish any vestiges of doubt among analysts about the intellectual limitations of women as professionals” (McGovern 546). It was through patience and earnest sincerity and passion that the women of twentieth century America were able to overcome the libel their sex was labeled with and earn their place to state their theories and opinions.
Sigmund Freud is known for creating the concept of psychoanalysis, also known as psychoanalytic theory, which requires one to explore the unconscious mind. Over time, his theories have been revised as well as criticized in a variety of ways. Be that as it may, they have remained strong influences within the world of psychiatry, as well as in the worlds of film and literature. Many works generally exhibit Freudian influences, balancing the conscious life with the subconscious and dreamlike undertones. Key ideas of Freudian Psychoanalysis are the three psychic zones of id, ego and super-ego, the libido, and the Oedipus complex.
Sigmund Freud believed that he “occupies a special place in the history of psychoanalysis and marks a turning point, it was with it that analysis took the step from being a psychotherapeutic procedure to being in depth-psychology” (Jones). Psychoanalysis is a theory or therapy to decode the puzzle of neurotic disorders like hysteria. During the therapy sessions, the patients would talk about their dreams. Freud would analyze not only the manifest content (what the dreamer remembers) of the dreams, but the disguise that caused the repressions of the idea. During our dreams, the decision making part of personality’s defenses are lowered allowing some of the repressed material to become more aware in a distorted form. He distinguished between
In psychoanalysis the therapist takes on the role of the expert, listening and interpreting Ana’s free associations from her unconscious process. The therapist role is to discover what is real and what is not real. The therapist is not to have an agenda and to remain passive and only engage when interpreting something Ana has stated (Murdock,
In the year 1896, a new term “theory of psychoanalysis” was invented by Sigmund Freud in which “it refers to all the processes that take place in our mind of an unconscious way and to a form of treatment of the nervous disorders” (Rodriquez). Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, was an Austrian neurologist who created and developed an entirely new approach to discover about the personality and the subconscious of the human. His creation in the psychology field was “at once a theory of the human psyche, a therapy for the relief of its ills, and an optic for the interpretation of culture and society” (Jay). Sigmund Freud is regarded as one of the most influential and controversial characters of the twentieth century due to his discoveries in many aspects of the field of psychology included Freud’s self-analysis that he left behind.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.” Elements of Literature: Kylene Beers. Austin: Holt, 2009. 842-963. Print.
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Allen, Janet. "Julius Caesar." Holt McDougal Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt McDougal/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. N. pag. Print.
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Many feminist critics have perceived Freud to be an active force in Victorian gender politics that claim women's inferiority. His attitudes towards women, as reflected in his psychoanalyses, consciously reflect the patriarchal assumptions of Victorian society, but unconsciously reject gender roles and stereotypes about women. Freud is therefore complicit in accepting sexist perceptions of women, but is not a perpetrator who attempts to entrench patriarchy by portraying women as inferior. Because Freud is a victim of the prevalent stereotypes of society, feminist critics are unwarranted in characterizing him as an instigator of female degradation. Rather, his skewed perceptions reflect the male-chauvinist beliefs of his surroundings and influences. Freud's relationships with his female patients indicate that he simultaneously identifies with and fails to understand women. In identifying with women patients, Freud demonstrates concern for the underlying causes of psychological affliction, namely the constricting nature of gender roles. This fixation with the feminine complaint is exemplified in particular by Freud's dream of Irma and his case study of Dora, two recalcitrant female patients who refuse to accept his theories. Freud's failure to completely understand his female patients, however, indicates that he has begun to question patriarchal assumptions by realizing that fulfillment of stereotypically female roles leaves women unfulfilled. Unfortunately, he has not acted upon this realization because he consciously sees women through the clouded lens of Victorian bias. Because Freud fails to bring his unconscious desire to reject gender roles to the conscious surface, he never completely frees h...