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Empathy--a retrospective on its development in psychotherapy
The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
|September 1, 1992
Summary
This paper traces the historical development of empathy, particularly in psychotherapy, and critiques psychoanalytic approaches. It highlights definitional challenges and the impact of psychoanalytic language on understanding empathy.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy
- Psychoanalysis
Background:
- Empathy's concept has evolved significantly, particularly within psychotherapy.
- Its usage extends beyond psychoanalysis into popular culture and other academic fields.
- Key psychoanalytic figures like Freud and Kohut have contributed to its understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a historical overview of empathy's conceptual development.
- To critique contemporary psychoanalytic perspectives on empathy.
- To explore the challenges in defining and understanding empathy within psychoanalysis.
Main Methods:
- Historical analysis of psychoanalytic literature.
- Survey of contributions from key psychoanalytic writers.
- Critical review of recent psychoanalytic inquiries into empathy.
Main Results:
- Psychoanalytic approaches to empathy face difficulties, partly due to inherent definitional challenges.
- The language and polemics within psychoanalysis can exacerbate these difficulties.
- Understanding empathy requires considering its aetiology, description, function, and epistemology within the psychoanalytic framework.
Conclusions:
- The definition and application of empathy in psychoanalysis are complex.
- Addressing definitional ambiguities is crucial for a clearer psychoanalytic understanding of empathy.
- Further research should focus on the epistemological and functional aspects of empathy in psychoanalytic contexts.