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Related Experiment Videos

Sexuality and textuality.

Bonnie E Litowitz1

  • 1Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, USA. Belitowitz@aol.com

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
|May 23, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Post-Freudian psychoanalysis emphasizes the body and sexuality, moving beyond traditional interpretation. This study argues that psychoanalytic textuality, not just sexuality, defines the field and advances its science.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychoanalysis
  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Post-Freudian theories are criticized for neglecting the biological body and sexuality in psychoanalysis.
  • However, these elements are arguably more present in contemporary theories, influencing therapeutic actions and intersubjectivity.
  • Freud's concept of the body as a text requiring interpretation is contrasted with modern approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To re-examine the role of the body and sexuality in psychoanalytic theory.
  • To trace the historical evolution of psychoanalytic theory through the lens of "textuality."
  • To argue that textuality, rather than sexuality alone, is the defining characteristic of psychoanalysis.

Main Methods:

  • Historical analysis of theoretical changes in psychoanalysis.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of the concept of "textuality" in psychoanalytic discourse.
  • Case example of perversion to illustrate theoretical points.

    • Main Results:

    • Post-Freudian theories, while seemingly departing from classical psychoanalysis, reintroduce the body and sexuality in novel ways.
    • Psychoanalysis is fundamentally characterized by its "textuality"—a grammar of desire that mediates experience and behavior.
    • Understanding textuality is key to interpreting actions and speech within psychoanalytic frameworks.

    Conclusions:

    • The concept of textuality is central to psychoanalysis, distinguishing it from other approaches.
    • Both traditional and post-Freudian theories contribute to psychoanalytic science by expanding the understanding of textuality.
    • A focus on textuality offers a more comprehensive view of intrapsychic motivation and therapeutic processes.