The trouble with psychoanalysis

[Guest guest]

One of the most interesting critiques of psychoanalysis (which is not

the same as psychology or even psychiatry) appears in Foucault's

History of Sexuality, volume 2. Basically, what Foucault suggests is

that, in modern Europe, sexual repression was regarded a tool of

civilization and progress. On one hand, psychoanalysis allowed the

confused bourgeoisie to discuss their inner pulsions in a seemingly

safe environment. At the same time, however, psychoanalysts took it

upon themselves to tame their clients' pulsions by transforming them

into the desire to comply with a " civilized " heterosexual,

reproductive sexuality that mimicked Victorian morality and gender

stereotypes. And in his Birth of the Clinic, Foucault has even more to

say on issues of power and ideology in the rise of Western medical

practices... (great stuff, really!)

 

BTW: Chris pointed out to me that he did not claim that " all " cases of

schizophrenia are caused by the K--which means that we are in full

agreement.

 

Sel

[Guest guest]

There is a unique excerpt from the famed Austrian school economist

Murray Rothbard that some here might find interesting as well as

entertaining, entitled

" Psychoanalysis as a Weapon " by Dr. Murray N. Rothbard

(http://www.mises.org/story/2330)

which is about how psychoanalysis can be, is, and has been abused to

denigrate and 'diagnose' as neurotic, many unpopular, controversial,

or heretical thinkers under the guise of scientific rigor. it is

fairly verbose but non-technical and worth the read in my opinion:

 

" " "

The unspoken assumption, of course, is that ideas or actions congenial

to the analyst don't need " explaining " by psychoanalytic or other

psychodynamic theories. Since they don't need " explaining, " the

implication is that they are normal, correct, and good, though of

course no analyst, in his role as the embodiment of " value-free

science, " would ever be caught dead using such terms. For if he did

so, he would have to take the ideas or actions of his opponents

seriously, and set forth an explicit moral theory in doing so. He

would not be able to dismiss them as " sick " or as people who are

uniquely in need of being " explained. "

....

Psycho-history has most often been used as a weapon against radical

groups in the past. Any radical group that challenged the status quo

is assumed ipso facto to be crazy or neurotic, people whose ideas and

behavior have to be " explained. " The " explanation " of course is never

that they had perceived what they considered to be a grave injustice

in society and were trying to set it right. Whether their theory of

justice is correct or not is really beside the point. The point is

that the psycho-historian has always implicitly assumed that the

status quo, whatever it is, is normal, so that opposition to it is

neurotic and abnormal and needs " explanation. "

....

The availability of this counter-thrust is part of the methodological

weakness that psychoanalysis shares with other determinist creeds. For

all determinist beliefs implicitly assume that the determinist is

magically exempt from the determined system and that he, at least,

possesses free will and the ability to learn the truth.

 

" " "

 

there are some great barbs to the 'analyses' to which, Martin Luther,

Bernard Spinoza, Leonardo da Vinci, and Adolf Hitler, among others,

have been subjected to under the psychoanalyst's rusty scalpel...

hope someone finds it useful/amusing - regards,

-brian

 

, " selena230 "

<selena230 wrote:

>

> One of the most interesting critiques of psychoanalysis (which is not

> the same as psychology or even psychiatry) appears in Foucault's

> History of Sexuality, volume 2. Basically, what Foucault suggests is

> that, in modern Europe, sexual repression was regarded a tool of

> civilization and progress. On one hand, psychoanalysis allowed the

> confused bourgeoisie to discuss their inner pulsions in a seemingly

> safe environment. At the same time, however, psychoanalysts took it

> upon themselves to tame their clients' pulsions by transforming them

> into the desire to comply with a " civilized " heterosexual,

> reproductive sexuality that mimicked Victorian morality and gender

> stereotypes. And in his Birth of the Clinic, Foucault has even more to

> say on issues of power and ideology in the rise of Western medical

> practices... (great stuff, really!)

>

> BTW: Chris pointed out to me that he did not claim that " all " cases of

> schizophrenia are caused by the K--which means that we are in full

> agreement.

>

> Sel

>