This book follows major themes, highlighting the similarities and differences among influential thinkers and schools of thought. At the same time, Psychoanalytic Theory is structured so that the chapters can be read in any order. Each one includes an introductory overview and summary, as well as biographical and historical material for each theorist discussed. This book is an essential starting point for any exploration of the contribution of psychoanalysis to contemporary theory.
Presents good insights into human psyche, the chapters encompass the prominent trends and highlight the eminent thinkers of psychoanalytic thought.
"For some theorists, the presupposition of an authentic sense of selfhood is crucial to psychoanalytic critique. For others, the self is seen as an imaginary fiction, a psychic strategy of accommodation aimed at masking the painful realities of desire itself."
A perfectly adequate introduction to psychoanalytic theory and its potential for engaging with social and political questions and processes. Not much more...