Overview

Full Product Details

9781782205340

Table of Contents

Reviews

'Unlike other biographies of Freud, Rene Major and Chantal Talagrand's book is unique in the richness of its contextualisation and the scope and clarity of its historical framework. With the confidence that comes from a deep knowledge of their subject, they present a political Freud, engaged with the issues of his day, and whose thought cannot be ignored given the challenges of our own time. Written with elegance and wisdom, this is an inspiring and important book.' Darian Leader, psychoanalyst and member of the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research 'This biography is unique in that, for the first time, it analytically draws on the Freudian method in its retelling of Freud's life and work. Using Nachtraglichkeit (afterwardsness) as the guiding principle of its investigation, this compelling study revisits, with exceptional rigour and acumen, the Freudian archive as a whole. Above all, Freud underlines the political pertinence of psychoanalysis, and its lucidity regarding the drive to power, relentless cruelty and the endless wars being waged across the world-and within ourselves.' Ginette Michaud, professor, Universite de Montreal 'This new biography of Freud deserves a place of honour. The authors are applying the psychoanalytic method to the understanding of historical facts-specifically those of Freud's history-and perhaps this is the source of the book's original flavour. Their panoramic knowledge of Freud's works and his extensive correspondence, and their incorporation of world history data, enables them to bring to life not only these works, but also their context. The portrait of Freud's family is more complete than any I had seen; it encompasses many of the minor characters, including his children, their progeny, and their respective fates. Freud's clinical cases are portrayed as people whose conflicts come alive in the context of their analyst's struggle with his discoveries and the technique he was attempting to perfect.' Marion M. Oliner, psychoanalyst and author, in The Psychoanalytic Quarterly 'In this very original analytic biography of Freud, with a graceful and narrative style, the authors retrace Freud's life and work, drawing attention, broadly speaking, to its ethical and political significance. Against the cliche of a politically conservative Freud, they restore to psychoanalysis the transgressive charge it carried at its beginnings, showing that, in a certain sense, even today, Freud's work risks being burned as it was by the Nazis in 1933; particularly because a psychoanalysis liberated from both doctors and priests destroys all illusions, even those of the psychoanalysts.' Sergio Benvenuto, psychoanalyst and philosopher, editor of the European Journal of Psychoanalysis

`Unlike other biographies of Freud, Rene Major and Chantal Talagrand's book is unique in the richness of its contextualisation and the scope and clarity of its historical framework. With the confidence that comes from a deep knowledge of their subject, they present a political Freud, engaged with the issues of his day, and whose thought cannot be ignored given the challenges of our own time. Written with elegance and wisdom, this is an inspiring and important book.' - Darian Leader, psychoanalyst and member of the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research `This biography is unique in that, for the first time, it analytically draws on the Freudian method in its retelling of Freud's life and work. Using Nachtraglichkeit (afterwardsness) as the guiding principle of its investigation, this compelling study revisits, with exceptional rigour and acumen, the Freudian archive as a whole. Above all, Freud underlines the political pertinence of psychoanalysis, and its lucidity regarding the drive to power, relentless cruelty and the endless wars being waged across the world-and within ourselves.' - Ginette Michaud, professor, Universite de Montreal `This new biography of Freud deserves a place of honour. The authors are applying the psychoanalytic method to the understanding of historical facts-specifically those of Freud's history-and perhaps this is the source of the book's original flavour. Their panoramic knowledge of Freud's works and his extensive correspondence, and their incorporation of world history data, enables them to bring to life not only these works, but also their context. The portrait of Freud's family is more complete than any I had seen; it encompasses many of the minor characters, including his children, their progeny, and their respective fates. Freud's clinical cases are portrayed as people whose conflicts come alive in the context of their analyst's struggle with his discoveries and the technique he was attempting to perfect.' - Marion M. Oliner, psychoanalyst and author, in The Psychoanalytic Quarterly `In this very original analytic biography of Freud, with a graceful and narrative style, the authors retrace Freud's life and work, drawing attention, broadly speaking, to its ethical and political significance. Against the cliche of a politically conservative Freud, they restore to psychoanalysis the transgressive charge it carried at its beginnings, showing that, in a certain sense, even today, Freud's work risks being burned as it was by the Nazis in 1933; particularly because a psychoanalysis liberated from both doctors and priests destroys all illusions, even those of the psychoanalysts.' - Sergio Benvenuto, psychoanalyst and philosopher, editor of the European Journal of Psychoanalysis

Author Information

Rene Major is a renowned psychoanalyst practicing in Paris. He was previously Director of the Institut de psychanalyse de Paris. In 1979 he created the journal 'Confrontation', a publication linking contemporary art to literature, philosophy, and psychoanalysis. He was later named Program Director at the International College of Philosophy in Paris where he placed particular emphasis on the intersection between philosophy and psychoanalysis. In 2000, he organised an international meeting of psychoanalysts at the Sorbonne, attended by over 1000 participants from thirty-four countries, to discuss the general state of the ""science"" of psychoanalysis. In 2003 he founded the Institut des hautes etudes en psychanalyse (Institute of Advanced Studies in Psychoanalysis). Rene Major is the author of numerous books, including 'Rever l'autre', 'Le Discernement', 'De l'Election', 'Lacan avec Derrida', 'La Democratie en cruaute', 'Au coeur de l'economie, l'inconscient' ('The Unconscious at the Heart of Economy'). He also edited the collective work 'Derrida pour les temps a venir'. Chantal Talagrand is a psychoanalyst practicing in Paris. At the Institut des hautes etudes en psychanalyse she conducts a seminar on the relation between psychoanalysis, criminology, and law. She was editor-in-chief of the magazines 'Cahiers Confrontation' and 'Contretemps', and has published many articles in France and abroad, including 'Confrontation', 'Etudes freudiennes', 'Psychanalyse a l'Universite, Traverses, Intersignes, Textuel', and 'Filigrane'. In addition, she has contributed to'Jenseits des Identichen' ('Beyond Identity'), 'Depuis Lan' ('Since Lacan'), and 'Etats generaux de la psychanalyse' ('The General State of Psychoanalysis')..

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available