Introduction to Psychoanalysis

Author: Freud
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-05-01
Features: Those who wish to obtain knowledge of psychoanalysis face many difficulties, especially the lack of a suitable textbook to begin their research. Previously, these individuals could choose from three types of textbooks, but from the perspective of beginners, each type had its own shortcomings. They could seek their path through the numerous papers published by Freud, Breuer, Ferenczi, and myself, but these papers were not arranged according to any coherent plan and were mostly written for those already familiar with the subject. Alternatively, they could attempt to study more systematic works, such as the books by Hitzigman and Barbara Low, which, due to compressing so much content into a brief volume, suffer from being overly concise and difficult to understand. Alternatively, they might find a book among many others—unnamed here—that provides an adequate discussion of psychoanalysis, but the authors of these books do not provide the necessary preliminary materials for acquiring correct knowledge of the subject. This gap in psychoanalytic literature has now been filled by a suitably qualified author—Professor Freud himself—who, in his busy schedule, took the time to write this book. The clinical psychology community should express its gratitude to him for this effort. From now on, we can confidently answer the frequent question: This is a good book to begin studying psychoanalysis. But here, I must also warn readers that there are several corrections to be made to the statement that this book is a perfect textbook on psychoanalysis. The circumstances of its initial writing do not allow us to make such an evaluation. This book is composed of three sets of lecture notes delivered at the University of Vienna between the winters of 1915 and 1917. The first two parts assume that the audience has no prior knowledge of the subject. The style of the lectures indicates that they serve as an introduction to the field. However, in the third set of lectures, Professor Freud undoubtedly believed that the audience had expanded their reading through research and decided not to treat them merely as beginners, thus allowing him to discuss more specialized and challenging topics—such as the psychoanalysis of neuroses. As a result, the second half of the book is far more advanced than the first half. Frankly, this is beneficial, as the author can present his final conclusions on complex issues here and there. Therefore, even the most accomplished scholars of psychoanalysis can learn much from this book. We must also note that the book does not adequately discuss the broad relationship between psychoanalysis and other human sciences not covered here. Beyond the occasional hints scattered throughout the pages, there is little mention of the scope of psychoanalytic applications in sociology, racial development studies, and particularly the psychology of normal individuals. The book is primarily limited to the psychological pathology of everyday life, dreams, and three topics on neuroses. The author chose these subjects as the most suitable material to achieve his purpose—to introduce students to psychoanalysis. The book is primarily limited to the psychological pathology of everyday life, dreams, and three topics on neuroses, discussing issues such as the unconscious, pansexuality, the death instinct, and cultural attitudes.