Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
06:08
Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
Published on: July 22, 2025
On Being and Knowing: A Response to Thomas Ogden's "Ontological" Model
The Psychoanalytic Quarterly
|May 8, 2026
Summary
This study examines the concept of experience in psychoanalysis, arguing that overemphasis on it, exemplified by Thomas Ogden's work, can hinder critical thought. Comparing Ogden with Winnicott and Bion reveals how this focus splits being and knowing, complicating psychoanalytic understanding.
Area of Science:
- Psychoanalysis
- Psychology
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- The concept of experience is central to psychoanalytic theory and practice.
- Contemporary trends may lead to an overemphasis on subjective experience.
- Thomas Ogden's ontological framework (2019) is a key example of current approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze current trends in the conceptualization of experience within psychoanalysis.
- To critique the idealization and reification of experience in psychoanalytic work.
- To explore the implications of focusing on experience for the psychoanalytic project.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of theoretical frameworks.
- Close reading of key psychoanalytic texts, including Ogden, Winnicott, and Bion.
- Philosophical critique of ontological and epistemological assumptions.
Main Results:
- A subtle idealization and reification of experience may limit theoretical exploration.
- Ogden's framework, while influential, risks creating a split between being and knowing.
- This split paradoxically impedes a full engagement with the complexities of experience.
Conclusions:
- The psychoanalytic project relies on the inseparability of being and knowing.
- A contemporary focus on experience, if not carefully managed, can undermine this core principle.
- Re-evaluating the role of experience is crucial for advancing psychoanalytic thought.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Cognitivism
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
01:21Self-Awareness and Its Effects
Self-awareness is a psychological state in which the individual becomes the focal point of their attention. This inward focus transforms the self into an object of contemplation and assessment, influencing how individuals perceive their actions and their alignment with personal and societal standards.Triggers and Contexts for Self-AwarenessSelf-awareness can be activated by external stimuli that make individuals visually or audibly aware of themselves, such as mirrors, cameras, or recordings.
01:23Understanding Consciousness
Consciousness can be defined as the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence, sensations, and surroundings. It encompasses two major components: awareness and arousal. Awareness pertains to the recognition of environmental stimuli and internal states. At the same time, arousal refers to the physiological readiness to engage with these stimuli, which varies significantly between states like sleep and wakefulness.
Sleep, a crucial state, is characterized by reduced physical...
Sleep, a crucial state, is characterized by reduced physical...
01:25Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention I
A model is a theoretical way to understand a concept or an idea. Models can overcome barriers to health regardless of diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. In addition, models make the task easier by providing different ways to approach complex issues. There are two major health promotion models: the health belief model and the health promotion model.
The health belief model (HBM) attempts to predict health-related behavior in specific belief patterns. According to the HBM, a person's...
The health belief model (HBM) attempts to predict health-related behavior in specific belief patterns. According to the HBM, a person's...
01:29Concepts of Health and Illness
Health is a condition of the body, mind, and spirit where an individual remains free from illness. Similarly, wellness is an active state, including living a lifestyle that promotes physical, mental, and emotional health. Physical health is critical for the overall well-being and can be affected by lifestyle, activity level, diet, and behavior. The highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental and universal human right. Consider Lisa, a fifteen-year-old born with congenital...
01:20Understanding Self-Concept
The self-concept encompasses individuals' beliefs about themselves, structured through cognitive frameworks known as self-schemas. These schemas function as mental representations of specific traits or behaviors, influencing how self-relevant information is perceived, processed, and remembered. For example, individuals who are schematic for body weight are more likely to interpret routine experiences—such as dining out or shopping—through the lens of that trait. Conversely, those aschematic for...