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Freud’s major case histories are examples of supremely great writing, and, in the century since they were composed, have taken their place among the classics of Western thought.
In these brilliant essays, Freud puts himself on display both as a clinician and as a theorist, and the fact that he was honest enough to describe his failures as well as what he took to be his successes, ensures their enduring value for us today. We will look at three case histories, illustrating the psychoanalysis of hysteria, obsessional neurosis, and paranoia. In the first two, we witness the unfolding of Freud’s practice of psychoanalysis, as he leaves behind his original stance of being a ‘detective’ – actively questioning the patient to build up a picture of the probable causes of the symptoms – and replaces it with his mature approach in which the analyst ‘simply listens’. The third is based on a memoir of psychotic illness written by the patient, and this provides Freud with the material to formulate new psychological hypotheses, which extend the range of psychoanalytic theory beyond the neuroses.
Case Histories day course outline.
This is the fourth of five Saturday courses offering a complete introduction to Freud. The course will be accessible to beginners – but is also designed for those already familiar with Freud’s work who wish to acquaint themselves with the results of the latest research and scholarship bearing upon it, and up-date themselves on the recent debates addressing the intellectual issues and controversies surrounding it.
