Overview

Critical theory draws on Marxism, psychoanalysis, postmodern and poststructuralist theorists. Marxism and psychoanalysis are rooted in the Enlightenment project, while postmodernism and poststructuralism are more indebted to Nietzsche, whose philosophy is rooted in anti-Enlightenment ideas and ideals. Marxism and psychoanalysis contributed mightily to our understanding of fascism and authoritarianism, but were distorted and disfigured by authoritarian tendencies and practices in turn. This book, written for clinicians and social scientists, explores these overarching themes, focusing on the reception of Freud in America, the authoritarian personality and American politics, Lacan’s “return to Freud,” Jordan Peterson and the Crisis of the Liberal Arts, and the anti-psychiatry movement. 

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9783030349233

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Burston's book is an outstanding work of scholarship in which he favourably reviews Wilhelm Reich and Erich Fromm's contention that 'sadomasochism and authoritarianism are not confined to the extreme Right ... . Burston endorses the mode of rational authority needed by democratic entities, which is the one that promotes competence and mutual respect. (Ann Casement, Journal of Analytical Psychology, Vol. 66 (1), 2021)

Author Information

Daniel Burston is Associate Professor of Psychology at Duquesne University, USA, and the author of numerous books and papers on the history of psychology, psychiatry and psychoanalysis. 

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