This book records a series of
groundbreaking discussions that took place in 1994-95 between a number of
prominent Kleinian and Lacanian psychoanalysts. The aim of the presentations
and the debates that followed was to allow for dialogue, as well as
controversy, to take place. Respecting the convictions of the other and
allowing their expression in their own terms became a prerequisite in the
dialogue. Topics discussed included phantasy, sexuality, counter-transference,
the unconscious, interpretation and technique, and child analysis. The meetings
provided an opportunity for reflection upon the implications for respective
positions and an appreciation of the sensitivities of both schools.
Throughout the year of 1995, a series of debates took place
under the auspices of the Higher Education Network for Research and Information
in Psychoanalysis. Leading Kleinian and Lacanian psychoanalysts were brought
together to debate key topics of psychanalytic theory. Subsequently, they were
asked to submit their papers in written form and this book was compiled. The
following areas were discussed: "phantasy", by Darien Leader and
Robert M. Young; "child analysis" by Bice Benvenuto and Margaret
Rustin; "transference and countertransference" by Robert Hinshelwood
and Vincetn Palomera; "technique and interpretation" by Catalina
Bronstein and Bernard Burgoyne; "sexuality" by Jane Temperley and
Dany Nobus; "the unconscious" by Robin Anderson and Filip Geerardyn;
The book ends with interviews with Donald Meltzer and Eric Laurent, each
significant figures in the fields of Kleinian and Lacanian psychoanalysis
respectively. Mary Sullivan provides an introduction setting out the
similarities and divergences of the two psychoanalytic pradigms. (amazon)
This book provides a timely exploration
and comparison of key concepts in the theories of Melanie Klein and Jacques
Lacan, two thinkers and clinicians whose influence over the development of
psychoanalysis in the wake of Freud has been profound and far-reaching. Whilst
the centrality of the unconscious is a strong conviction shared by both Klein
and Lacan, there are also many differences between the two schools of thought
and the clinical work that is produced in each. The purpose of this collection
is to take seriously these similarities and differences.
Critical Theory Between Klein and Lacan: A Dialogue
(Psychoanalytic Horizons), ed. by Mari Ruti, Bloomsbury
Academic, 2019-7-25
Critical Theory Between Klein and Lacan explores convergences and
divergences in the psychoanalytic theories of Melanie Klein and Jacques Lacan,
with a special focus on the implications of their work for critical theory,
broadly construed. The book is co-authored in the form of a dialogue between
Amy Allen, a prominent representative of Frankfurt School critical theory with
expertise on Klein, and Mari Ruti, a leading Lacanian critical theorist.
Klein and Lacan are among the two
most important and influential psychoanalytic theorists after Freud. Their work
has profound implications for how we understand subjectivity, intersubjectivity,
autonomy, agency, desire, affect, trauma, history, and the potential for
individual and social change. Allen and Ruti offer distinctive interpretations
of Klein and Lacan that not only bring out their complexities but also
highlight productive points of convergence where most psychoanalytic and
critical theorists see irreconcilable differences. The book is organized around
key themes that cut across and through the work of Klein and Lacan, culminating
in an assessment of the implications of their theories for thinking about
politics.(amazon)
