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Six. Implications for Psychoanalysis
- State University of New York Press
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Six Implications for Psychoanalysis Toward Process Psychology THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT, I have attempted to show that Hegel has a surprisingly well articulated theory of the unconscious and the psychodynamic processes that govern the structure, function, and operations of the mind. According to which, the unconscious is the foundation for conscious and selfconscious life and is responsible for the normative and pathological forces that fuel psychic development, thus explaining the breadth, depth, and appearance of both mental health and disease. One point I have emphasized time and again is that although the unconscious undergoes dialectical maturation, it is never fully sublated: the abyss remains a repository or womb in which failed shapes of spirit return. Moreover, what is significant is that Hegel’s theory of the unconscious in multiple and remarkable ways parallels several central theses established by Freud almost a century later, a position, I argue, that is of value to psychoanalysis today. The field of psychoanalysis has gone through many theoretical evolutions since the time of Freud, from drive theory to its current preoccupation with intersubjectivity . As psychoanalysis flirts with the arrival of postmodernism and the Continental tradition, new vistas emerge that bring psychoanalysis into dialogue with philosophy. Largely overlooked for his strong commitment to rationalism, Hegel remains relatively unknown to psychoanalytic discourse. But with greater awareness of Hegel’s contributions to psychodynamic thought may come greater appreciation of how he can truly benefit the institution of psychoanalysis. What is central to Hegel’s overall philosophy is the notion of process, a thesis that has direct implications for the psychoanalytic understanding of the structure and functional operations of the psyche. In particular, Hegel’s logic of 187 the dialectic has promising new appeal for advancing psychoanalytic doctrine. One does not have to espouse Hegel’s entire philosophical system, which is neither necessary nor desirable, in order to appreciate the dialectic and its application to psychoanalysis and contemporary modes of thought. The adoption of his dialectical method may complement or augment existing theoretical innovations that enrich our psychoanalytic understanding of mind and human nature. More auspiciously, a proper appreciation of Hegel’s dialectic may pave the way toward a new movement within psychoanalysis today: namely, “process psychology,” or what we may call “dialectical psychoanalysis.” Juxtaposed to current paradigms, Hegel’s dialectic has profound significance for the future of psychoanalytic inquiry. If Freud Read Hegel We do not know whether Freud actually ever read Hegel. By Jean Hyppolite’s account, “Seemingly, Freud had not read Hegel;”1 but we do know that he was at least acquainted with his philosophy. In a paper titled, “The Importance of Philosophy for the Further Development of Psychoanalysis,” delivered at the International Congress for Psychoanalysis at Weimar in 1911, James Putnum advocated the need for philosophical integration within psychoanalytic investigation. From Ernest Jones’s biography on Freud, he states: [Putnum’s] burning plea for the introduction of philosophy—but only his own Hegelian brand—into psychoanalysis did not meet with much success. Most of us did not see the necessity of adopting any particular system. Freud was of course very polite in the matter, but remarked to me afterwards: “Putnum’s philosophy reminds me of a decorative centerpiece; everyone admires it but no one touches it.”2 While Freud’s dismissal of Hegel is tacit in his remark, it is well documented that Freud sincerely did admire philosophy.3 After all, he seriously considered becoming a philosopher. In fact, while attending the University of Vienna, Freud and Husserl were in the same class together under the tutelage of Franz Brentano. Being a studious and passionate reader of the humanities, it is not only possible but probable that he actually did have formal textual exposure to Hegel.4 In the footsteps of Kant, whom Freud knew well, Hegel was a monolith of German culture. Just as Freud was exposed to Natural Philosophy, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche within the same era, it seems very unlikely that Hegel would have eluded his intellectual attention. The question then becomes: If Freud read Hegel, then why didn’t he take him seriously? Perhaps this is obvious: Hegel was a rationalist, a theist, and a systematic metaphysician, while Freud was an empiricist and a vociferous atheist who canonized irrationality as the primary force behind the human mind, not to mention the fact that he loathed metaphysics. But perhaps Freud was not exposed to Hegel’s concept of madness and the soul, 188 THE UNCONSCIOUS ABYSS [44.210.107.64] Project MUSE (2024...