Perversion and Utopia: A Study in Psychoanalysis and Critical TheoryIn this sweeping challenge to the postmodern critiques of psychoanalysis, Joel Whitebook argues for a reintegration of Freud's uncompromising investigation of the unconscious with the political and philosophical insights of critical theory. Perversion and Utopia follows in the tradition of Herbert Marcuse's Eros and Civilization and Paul Ricoeur's Freud and Philosophy. It expands on these books, however, because of the author's remarkable grasp not only of psychoanalytic studies but also of the contemporary critical climate; Whitebook, a philosopher and a psychoanalyst, writes with equal facility on both Habermas and Freud. A central thesis of Perversion and Utopia is that there is an essential affinity between the utopian impulse and the perverse impulse, in that both reflect a desire to bypass the reality principle that Freud claimed to define the human condition. The book explores the positive and negative aspects of the relationship between these impulses, which are ubiquitous features of human life, and the requirements of civilized social existence. Whitebook steers a course between orthodox psychoanalytic conservatism, which seeks simply to repress the perverse-utopian impulse in the name of social continuity and cohesion, and those forms of Freudo-Marxism, postmodernism, and psychoanalytic feminism that advocate its direct and full expression in the name of emancipation. While he demonstrates the limitations of the current textual approaches to Freud, especially those influenced by Lacan, Whitebook also enlists the lessons of psychoanalysis to counteract the excessive rationalism of the Habermasian brand of critical theory, thus making a substantial contribution to current discussions within critical theory itself. His analysis and interpretation of perversion, narcissism, sublimation, and ego bring new insight to these central and thorny issues in Freud, and his discussions of Adorno, Marcuse, Castoriadis, Habermas, Ricoeur, Lacan, and others are equally penetrating. |
Contents
Ambivalent Critique of Civilization | 19 |
The Suspension of the Utopian Motif in Critical | 75 |
Freud and the Problem | 91 |
Lacan and Adorno on the Ego | 119 |
Wish Image | 165 |
A Frontier Concept | 217 |
Notes | 263 |
| 325 | |
| 341 | |
Other editions - View all
Perversion and Utopia: A Study in Psychoanalysis and Critical Theory Joel Whitebook No preview available - 1995 |
Perversion and Utopia: A Study in Psychoanalysis and Critical Theory Joel Whitebook No preview available - 1996 |
Perversion and Utopia: A Study in Psychoanalysis and Critical Theory Joel Whitebook No preview available - 1996 |
Common terms and phrases
aesthetic analysis argues attempt autonomy become Castoriadis Chapter Chasseguet-Smirgel constitutes Critical Theory Critique of Civilization cultural Dialectic of Enlightenment ego ideal ego's Eros and Civilization Essays existence fact fantasy formulated Foucault Frankfurt school Freud and Philosophy Freud's Ambivalent Critique Freudian Frontier Concept function Habermas's Hermeneutics Horkheimer and Adorno Ibid illusion Imaginary Institution individual inner nature insofar instinct Institution of Society International Universities Press interpretation Jacques Lacan Janine Chasseguet-Smirgel Jürgen Habermas Kant Kantian Lacan language Laplanche libido Linguistic Turn Loewald logic maintains Marcuse McDougall meaning modern narcissism narcissistic Notes to Pages notion object Oedipus Oedipus complex omnipotence perversions pleasure principle political position possible postmodern problem psyche psychic psychoanalysis psychoanalytic theory Psychology question rationality reality principle reason repression Ricoeur sense sexual Sigmund Freud social structure superego Synthesis as Violence thesis thinking tion trans transcendental Turn or Bilderverbot unconscious unity utopian Wellmer York