The Psychoanalysis of the Absurd: Existentialism and Phenomenology in Contemporary Psychoanalysis

Description

The Psychoanalysis of the Absurd offers an interdisciplinary study of Existentialism and Phenomenology and their importance to the clinical work of Contemporary Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. The concept of Absurdity, developed by Camus, has never been applied to the therapeutic situation or directly contrasted with its antithesis; the search for personal meaning. The book begins with narrative accounts of the historical development of Psychoanalysis, Existentialism and Phenomenology in 20th century Europe. The focus here is on fin de siècle Vienna and Paris between the Wars as the principal incubators of the two disciplines. Accompanied by composite case illustrations, Leffert then explores his own development of the Psychoanalysis of the Absurd, drawing on the work of Camus, Heidegger and Sartre. Absurdity is first discussed in relation to the Bio-Psycho-Social Self and Dasein is posited as a bridge concept, with personal meaning as the antithesis to Absurdity, before being discussed in relation to the world and how it impinges on self. A final chapter attempts to tie together particular issues raised by the book: Subjective well-being, Meaning, thrownness, Absurdity, Death and Death Anxiety and how we have become technologically enhanced human beings. Existential psychotherapy and psychoanalysis have, until now, largely gone their own way: the goal of this book is to fold them back into Contemporary Psychoanalysis. Establishing that the concept of Absurdity is of singular clinical importance to both diagnosis and therapeutic action, this book will be of great interest to clinicians, philosophers, and interdisciplinary scientists. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Psychoanalytic knowing: A brief history of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy Introduction The broad sweep of Psychoanalytic history The educational and practice traditions of Psychotherapists The Psychotherapists The Psychoanalysts Theoretical plurality What do psychoanalysts and psychotherapists actually do with their patients? Metapsychology and différance References 2. Existentialism: The cafés of Vienna and Paris and beyond Introduction Kierkegaard Nietzsche Schopenhauer Fin de siècle Vienna Husserl Heidegger Paris between the wars and beyond Sartre Being and no-thing-ness Existentialism is a Humanism No Exit Nausea Camus and the “Three Absurds” The Stranger The Myth of Sisyphus Caligula Whatever happened to Existentialism? References 3. Existentialist: Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy Introduction Origins The sixties The Existentialist approach to the therapeutic situation Existentialist Psychology today Two cases Daseinanalysis The North Americans and the British Yalom on Death Anxiety Despair The beginning of a long case References 4. The Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis of the Absurd Introduction Absurdity and Meaning in the work of Camus and beyond Everydayness (Alltäglichkeit) explained The Self, Dasein, the Eigenwelt, and Absurdity The neural hardware of the Self and its relationship to the Absurd and the Everyday Affective neuroscience and the neuroevolutionary basis of human emotion Heuristics and Biases Subjective Well-Being The Absurdity of development across the life cycle (from uterus to grave) The biology and the psychology of Development The Existential The art of Existential interpretation Some final thoughts about Absurdity References 5. Culture and History: How Self engages World Introduction Unknowability and its post-structural effects on the ontology of the Self Dasein: the bridge between Self and World Culture and society The American Dream Anxieties—ecological and political The Ecoanxieties Political Anxiety The inner world—the Microbiome The mechanics—the Social Network and the Mirror Neuron System The Mirror Neuron System (MNS) The Social Networks that make us who we are References 6. Meaning, Subjective Well-Being, Thrownness, and Death: A summing up Introduction Subjective Well-Being Meaning, Absurdity, Thrownness, Happiness, and Subjective Well-Being Meaning Death and Death Anxiety Charles Dennis Empirical studies of Death Anxiety Technologically enhanced Human Beings Background Cyborgs A final note on Postphenomenology References Index