Structures of Subjectivity: Explorations in Psychoanalytic Phenomenology and Contextualism

by George E. Atwood, Robert D. Stolorow

Structures of Explorations in Psychoanalytic Phenomenology and Contextualism , is a revised and expanded second edition of a work first published in 1984, which was the first systematic presentation of the intersubjective viewpoint – what George Atwood and Robert Stolorow called psychoanalytic phenomenology – in psychoanalysis. This edition contains new chapters tracing the further development of their thinking over the ensuing decades and explores the personal origins of their most essential ideas. In this new edition, Atwood and Stolorow cover the philosophical and theoretical assumptions of psychoanalysis and present a broad approach that they have designated phenomenological contextualism. This approach addresses personal subjective worlds in all their richness and idiosyncrasy and focuses on their relational contexts of origin and therapeutic transformation. Structures of Subjectivity covers the principles guiding the practice of psychoanalytic therapy from the authors' viewpoints and includes numerous detailed clinical case studies. The book will be essential reading for psychoanalysts, practitioners of psychotherapy, psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers. It will also be of interest to scholars and students with an interest in psychoanalytic theory and practice, and its philosophical premises.

Genres: Psychoanalysis

174 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[xenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

qt fwends take down descartes thruu the power of ideology critique !

Interesting Heideggerian reworking of Freud, that seeks to ground psychic being in relational becoming, thus rescue psychology from its metaphysical tendencies.

Strong focus on undoing reification, but through Dilthey's materialist framework rather than Marx's, which means the book unfortunately never gets to the level of a historical or genealogical exploration of w h y metaphysics has dominated us for so long. It instead falters at this point, positing it's own metaphysical and ahistorical narrative of "cuz we're mortal and das spooky, so we gotta become immortal 2 not b spookd."

Would suggest supplementing with postcolonialism / anthropology. Colonial fragility, etcc. Master slave, blah.