http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/102264418

Freud's theories of the neuroses Authorized translation by C.R. Payne, with an introd. by Ernest Jones

"Eduard Hitschmann has in this volume undertaken an important task, namely, a synthetic presentation of the Freudian theory. It is exceedingly difficult properly to grasp the significance of the theory from the reading only of disconnected fragments, which taken in themselves often present an appearance that is far from convincing. The especial difficulty inherent in any attempt to render a connected description as is here given lies in the fact that the Freudian theory represents not a fixed philosophic doctrine but a growing body of science. Strangely enough this has sometimes been made a source of reproach to Professor Freud, as indicating a fluctuating change and lack of stability in his conclusions. It is certainly true that during the gradual evolution of his methods and conclusions, an evolution which is still in progress, he has been led to introduce various modifications into his earlier views. These have always been, however, of the nature of amplifications rather than of retractions, increasing experience having shown him that some of his earlier views were, though correct so far as they went, yet incomplete and at times imperfectly oriented. This very evolution is surely evidence in itself that the conclusions reached are based on definite data of experience, and represent no subjective opinions of the author; a theory of such novel and intricate matters as unconscious mental processes should, on the contrary, arouse a justifiable suspicion were it promulgated as being complete and perfect from its inception. The further consideration has to be weighed that the field of Professor Freud's investigations has undergone a remarkable widening in the course of years. Confined at first to the study of the neuroses, it became extended first to the subject of normal dream life, of the processes underlying the production of wit, and the development and variation of the instinct of sex. In the past eight years it has been further extended so as to comprise on the one hand various deviations from the normal, such as criminality, certain psychoses, failures in mental functioning with healthy people, the nature and origin of sexual perversions, and on the other hand an increasing number of more normal manifestations, such as the source of literary and artistic inspiration, the evolution of language, the structure and meaning of religious, mythological and superstitious beliefs, and the sources of many other human interests and activities, encroaching thus in ever widening circles on the domain of normal psychology. These last named extensions, Dr. Hitschmann has here for the first time given a connected account of, one which no doubt would have been less brief had not the main purpose of the book been a medical one; those who are interested in these important aspects of psycho-analysis may be referred to a special journal, Imago, which is devoted to the non-medical applications of the subject. When one works systematically over the apparently disconnected fields here mentioned, one realizes more and more both the breadth and the unity of the fundamental conceptions that follow from psycho-analytic investigations. They constitute an organic whole, and it would seem that the time is now ripe for a presentation of them as such. In carrying out this task, Dr. Hitschmann has been singularly successful. Being in near personal touch with Professor Freud himself and also having at his disposal an extensive psychoanalytic experience, he is in a position to render an especially faithful presentation of both the theory and the practice of the subject. He has subordinated his personal views and striven to reproduce Professor Freud's own as exactly as possible, making indeed lengthy quotations from the latter's writings so as to furnish an additional safeguard against any deflections. The book should therefore be invaluable to those who contemplate making a serious study of this important subject"--Introduction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Open All Close All