The Cultural History of Psychoanalysis up to 1950

elective courses
general courses

Remote learning

This course aims to show the history of pre-war and post-war psychoanalysis up to 1950 in the broad context of social and cultural shifts starting from the end of the 19th century up to the second half of the 20th century. As we shall see, the history of psychoanalysis not only concerns the development of the psychoanalytic theory and treatment methods, nor can it be limited to the theoretical analysis of psychoanalytical concepts. During the course, we will think about the history of psychoanalysis from the perspective of cultural history and ask how the cultural, social, and political context influenced the psychoanalytic movement during its formation. On the one hand, we will reflect on psychoanalysis from a relational perspective, which perceives the production of knowledge as a result of a dynamic dialogue between different discourses: psycho-medical, literary, and philosophical. On the other hand as the result of collective practices of thinking and international cooperation.

Curriculum includes an introduction to selected psychoanalytic theories by Sigmund Freud and his

most important associates seen in the context of the cultural history of psychoanalysis up to 1950.

Reading crucial texts in the field of psychoanalysis will be accompanied by an in-depth reflection

on the cultural, social, and political context in which local psychoanalytical groups developed: from

Vienna through Budapest, Prague, Warsaw, Berlin, Paris, London, and New York. During the

course, we will discuss selected source materials and the selection of the most important

contemporary analysis emerging in the field of Psychoanalytic Studies. Topics are as follows: 1.

Toward a cultural history of psychoanalysis; 2. The birth of psychoanalysis: self-analysis—anti-

Semitism—homophobia; 3. Psycho-medical discourses and the emergence of the psychoanalytic

theory of human sexuality; 4. Shadow cases and psychoanalytical literary production: Dora and

Schreber; 5. Psychoanalysis and literature - the Hungarian case; 6. War, Destruction, Death: Freud-

Spielrein-Gross; 7. Wild psychoanalysis or psychoanalysis of culture: Freud, Groddeck, Ferenczi; 8.

Marks and psychoanalysis: Wilhelm Reich, Otto Fenichel and Bohuslav Brouk; 9. French

surrealism and psychoanalysis: Bataille - Lacan; 10. Monotheism, war, emigration; 11.

Psychoanalysis of women: Lou Andreas-Salomé, Helene Deutsch, Hermine Hug-Hellmuth; 12.

Revival of the psychoanalytic movement in Central Europe after 1945; 13. The first biographers of

Freud: Wittels, Sadger, Bernfeld, Deutsch.

Knowledge:

- students know and understand the specificity of the cultural history of psychoanalysis and its

relation to such perspectives as cultural history, history of science, anthropology of knowledge,

studies on gender and identity, new modernist studies, and life writing studies.

- students know and understand the basic issues of history and psychoanalytical theory until 1950.

Skills:

- students can use gained knowledge in their independent research; they can analyze, evaluate,

select, and integrate information from various sources in the field of psychoanalytical studies and

use them in their research projects.

- students can develop their knowledge in the field of psychoanalytic history and theory, as well as

to develop intellectually and professionally.

Social competencies:

- students can interpret source materials, show openness and research curiosity toward the

complexity of psychoanalysis' history and theory, and can recognize significant social and political

changes that have influenced the history of the psychoanalytical movement internationally.

students know the most important research centers specializing in psychoanalysis and are able to

obtain further knowledge in the field of psychoanalytic studies.

- The necessary condition for completing the course is attendance (two absences per semester are

allowed; no more than 30 % of absences may be completed during consultations)

- attendance

- active participation in discussion

- after the course - a short interview concerning topics discussed during classes or a 15-minute

presentation