What do you think?
Rate this book
The Political Psyche
What can depth psychology and politics offer each other? In The Political Psyche Andrew Samuels shows how the inner journey of analysis and psychotherapy and the passionate political convictions of the outer world are linked. He brings an acute psychological perspective to bear on public themes such as the market economy, environmentalism, nationalism, and anti-semitism. But, true to his aim of setting in motion a two-way process between depth psychology and politics, he also lay bare the hidden politics of the father, the male body, and of men's issue generally. A special feature of the book is an international survey into what analysts and psychotherapists do when their patients/clients bring overtly political material into the clinical setting. The results, including what the respondents reveal about their own political attitudes, destabilize any preconceived notions about the political sensitivity of analysis and psychotherapy.
- GenresPsychologyPolitics
Paperback
First published August 12, 1993
5 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Samuels
38 books7 followersAndrew Samuels is a psychotherapist, professor, activist and writer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 27, 2023
"We are living in times of great disruption: political passions are aflame, internal upheavals have brought nations to the brink of chaos. This critical state of things has such a tremendous influence on the psychic life of the individual that the analyst ...feels the violence of its impact even in the quiet of his consulting room...The psychologist cannot avoid coming to grip with contemporary history, even if his very soul shrinks from the political uproar, the lying propaganda, and the jarring speeches of the demagogues. We need not mention his duties as a citizen, which confront him with a similar task."
So wrote Gustav Jung in 1946, in a preface to his essays on Nazi Germany.
Maybe I'm reading the book because, as a citizen, my soul shrank a bit while facing the recent events in the UK; namely, the Salisbury poisoning of ex-double agent Sergey Skripal , a "barbaric act", which some deem with a Russian signature/hand behind. Allow me to add: it's not the first time things happen in that way-poisoning*. The UK PM had given 24 hours for clarification, and, as the Russian government seems to be indifferent, now we have 23 Russian diplomats being expelled from the UK. Retaliation will ensue, for sure. But, we know Russian elections are meant to take place on the next 18th. Who's disrupting what? Who's exposing what? With what motivations? But how about the consequences? Will Russia become a compliant nation as regards to Treaties on chemical weapons? Ultimately, will Russia ponder on her own (kind of) 'democracy'?
The book of Samuels is about politics and depth psychology. Samuels has seen parallels and "similarities" between the political tasks of Modern Democracy and the Psychological tasks of Modern Therapy.
As for parallels, he’s seen them between the government and the ego; the citizens and constellations of object relations; social problems and psychopathology.
This reminds me of a former London Mayor (Ken Livingstone) commenting on the Salisbury case. The terminology is interesting: it’s a case of “paranoia” (of the British government) with “premature measures” (expelling Russian diplomats). Yet, (maybe) the real motive could be: to “prop up “ the “strong and stable” (UK) leader.
Mar 14, 2018
Well, it's been turned into a wave, a coordinated wave, you go figure.**
Mar 29, 2018
Portugal is still pondering; no rush. Some ask if Portugal turned 'neutral'. Some hint of a left-wing 'conditioned' position.
Mar 30, 2018
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoni...
**http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-cana...
So wrote Gustav Jung in 1946, in a preface to his essays on Nazi Germany.
Maybe I'm reading the book because, as a citizen, my soul shrank a bit while facing the recent events in the UK; namely, the Salisbury poisoning of ex-double agent Sergey Skripal , a "barbaric act", which some deem with a Russian signature/hand behind. Allow me to add: it's not the first time things happen in that way-poisoning*. The UK PM had given 24 hours for clarification, and, as the Russian government seems to be indifferent, now we have 23 Russian diplomats being expelled from the UK. Retaliation will ensue, for sure. But, we know Russian elections are meant to take place on the next 18th. Who's disrupting what? Who's exposing what? With what motivations? But how about the consequences? Will Russia become a compliant nation as regards to Treaties on chemical weapons? Ultimately, will Russia ponder on her own (kind of) 'democracy'?
The book of Samuels is about politics and depth psychology. Samuels has seen parallels and "similarities" between the political tasks of Modern Democracy and the Psychological tasks of Modern Therapy.
"In both areas, there is a fight between consciousness, liberation and alterity on the one hand and suppression, repression and omnipotent beliefs in final truths on the other. Psychological and political processes share an uncertain outcome. Hence the demarcation between the inner world of psychology and the outer world of politics has no permanent existence. The UMWELT is both inside and outside".
As for parallels, he’s seen them between the government and the ego; the citizens and constellations of object relations; social problems and psychopathology.
This reminds me of a former London Mayor (Ken Livingstone) commenting on the Salisbury case. The terminology is interesting: it’s a case of “paranoia” (of the British government) with “premature measures” (expelling Russian diplomats). Yet, (maybe) the real motive could be: to “prop up “ the “strong and stable” (UK) leader.
Mar 14, 2018
Well, it's been turned into a wave, a coordinated wave, you go figure.**
Mar 29, 2018
Portugal is still pondering; no rush. Some ask if Portugal turned 'neutral'. Some hint of a left-wing 'conditioned' position.
Mar 30, 2018
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoni...
**http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-cana...
Displaying 1 of 1 review