Kundera’s insight beautifully captures why post-psychoanalysis might shift from an internal focus toward understanding the mind in relation to external forces. In contrasting Proust and Kafka, Kundera points to a shift in psychological focus: from the “infinity” of the inner self to the struggle of the self under external pressures so immense they redefine the individual’s possibilities.
This Kafkaesque perspective resonates with the idea that in a world where external determinants—like technology, sociopolitical structures, environmental crises, and economic inequalities—are overwhelming, the individual’s inner impulses and motivations might seem almost secondary. The focus of psychoanalysis, then, might turn to understanding how individuals can navigate, adapt to, or resist these external constraints, rather than solely examining their internal worlds.
Such a post-psychoanalytic approach would likely explore questions about agency, autonomy, and resilience in a world where external pressures frequently overshadow individual desires and impulses. This would mark a fundamental shift in psychoanalysis, from mapping the unconscious drives within a person to examining how people find meaning, agency, and identity amid overpowering, often impersonal forces.
