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The human mind in the contemporary world
1Northwestern University, IL, USA. r-chessick@northwestern.edu
The Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry
|September 24, 2005
Summary
This study explores differing views on human mentation and development, questioning if the mind is essential or culturally relative. It examines psychoanalysis, philosophy, and their impact on therapy and human progress.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Mind
- Psychoanalysis
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Conflicting theories on human mentation and mental development exist.
- The debate centers on whether the mind has an essential nature or is culturally relative.
- Psychoanalysis and philosophy share overlapping interests in these concepts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine conflicting conceptions of human mentation and mental development.
- To explore the influence of irrational and noncognitive aspects of mental life.
- To analyze the implications for psychoanalytic therapy and the potential for human improvement.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of psychoanalytic and philosophical thought (Freud, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer).
- Analysis of differing conceptions of the mind's essential nature versus cultural relativity.
- Examination of the practical ramifications for psychoanalytic therapy.
Main Results:
- Contrasting views on the mind's essential nature versus its cultural formation were outlined.
- Irrational and noncognitive aspects of mental life were detailed, drawing from key thinkers.
- The impact of these diverse views on psychoanalytic practice was explored.
Conclusions:
- The possibility of improving the human condition and ending violence depends on the underlying conception of the mind.
- No definitive conclusions were reached; these issues remain unresolved.
- The study highlights the ongoing, unsettled nature of these fundamental questions in contemporary thought.