The Freudian Century

1 Course Unit

In 1900, Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams, the book that consolidated the creation of psychoanalysis. From that moment onwards, the history of this new discipline became inextricably tied to that of the new century. This course will explore this relationship from two angles: first, by tracing developments and shifts in psychoanalytic theory and practice from within and without the psychoanalytic movement; and second, by examining the impact of Freudian theory on what historians call the “Freudian century.” Psychoanalysis formed a body of knowledge whose impact in the twentieth century was virtually ubiquitous. This body of knowledge, comprising of a developmental theory of mind, a medical/therapeutic practice, and a method of investigation of the mind and society, served as a source to scientists, philosophers, artists, cultural theorists, medical practitioners, social activists and politicians, as well as marketing, propaganda, and PR professionals around the world. Most importantly, however, psychoanalysis has helped to craft a new understanding of subjectivity whose influence was most poignantly observed in how the twentieth-century subject came to understand and experience their own selfhood. If different actors across the twentieth century made use of psychoanalysis in various ways, the body of knowledge represented by psychoanalysis was by no means static. Its theories, practices, and methods underwent major shifts and re-elaborations, not only by psychoanalysts themselves but also by those same actors who utilized psychoanalysis for purposes going far beyond the narrow confines of the consulting room. The changes psychoanalysis has undergone, therefore, are reflective of the different functions and purposes it has served, the ways in which it has been applied, and the different contexts in which these changes have been formulated. The subjects of psychoanalysis – starting with Freud in his own “self-analysis” – were also, therefore, its creators. The analysis pursued in this course will lead us to a dual investigation. Firstly, we will examine the history of the twentieth century through the lens of Freudian theory, focusing on how it framed the experience of subjectivity in that period century. Secondly, we will explore some historical and epistemological questions pertaining at the core of the discipline: what type of discipline is psychoanalysis? Is there one psychoanalysis, or many? What function(s) did psychoanalysis serve in the twentieth century? And finally, does it still have a role to play in the twenty-first century? Not Offered Every Year 1 Course Unit