Look up metapsychology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Metapsychology (Greek: meta 'beyond, transcending', and ψυχολογία 'psychology')[1] is that aspect of any psychological theory which refers to the structure of the theory itself (hence the prefix "meta") rather than to the entity it describes. The psychology is about the psyche; the metapsychology is about the psychology. The term is used mostly in discourse about psychoanalysis, the psychology developed by Sigmund Freud, which was at its time regarded as a branch of science (with roots in the work of Freud's scientific mentors and predecessors, especially Helmholtz, Brücke, Charcot, and Janet), or, more recently, as a hermeneutics of understanding (with roots in Freud's literary sources, especially Sophocles and, to a lesser extent, Goethe and Shakespeare). Interest on the possible scientific status of psychoanalysis has been renewed in the emerging discipline of neuropsychoanalysis, whose major exemplar is Mark Solms. The hermeneutic vision of psychoanalysis is the focus of influential works by Donna Orange.
Psychoanalytic metapsychology is concerned with the fundamental structure and concepts of Freudian theory.[1]Sigmund Freud first used the term on 13 February 1896 in a letter to Wilhelm Fliess,[2] to refer to his addition of unconscious processes to the conscious ones of traditional psychology. On March 10, 1898, he wrote to Fliess: "It seems to me that (German: als ob)[3] the theory of wish fulfillment has brought only the psychological solution and not the biological - or, rather, metapsychical - one. (I am going to ask you seriously, by the way, whether I may use the name metapsychology for my psychology that leads behind consciousness)."[4] Three years after completing his unpublished Project for a Scientific Psychology, Freud's optimism had completely vanished. In a letter dated September 22 of that year he told Fliess: "I am not at all in disagreement with you, not at all inclined to leave psychology hanging in the air without an organic basis. But apart from this conviction, I do not know how to go on, neither theoretically nor therapeutically, and therefore must behave as if [als läge][5] only the psychological were under consideration. Why I cannot fit it together [the organic and the psychological] I have not even begun to fathom".[6] "When, in his 'Autobiographical Study' of 1925, Freud called his metapsychology a 'speculative superstructure'...the elements of which could be abandoned or changed once proven inadequate, he was, in the terminology of Kant's Critique of Judgment,[7] proposing a psychology als ob or as if – a heuristic model of mental functioning that did not necessarily correspond with external reality."[8]
A salient example of Freud's own metapsychology is his characterization of psychoanalysis as a "simultaneously closed system, fundamentally unrelated and impervious to the external world and as an open system inherently connected and responsive to environmental influence.[9]
In the 1910s, Freud wrote a series of twelve essays, to be collected as Preliminaries to a Metapsychology. Five of these were published independently under the titles: "Instincts and Their Vicissitudes," "Repression," "The Unconscious," "A Metapsychological Supplement to the Theory of Dreams," and "Mourning and Melancholia." The remaining seven remained unpublished, an expression of Freud's ambivalence about his own attempts to articulate the whole of his vision of psychoanalysis. In 1919 he wrote to Lou Andreas-Salome, "Where is my Metapsychology? In the first place it remains unwritten".[10] In 1920 he published Beyond the Pleasure Principle, a text with metaphysical ambitions.
Midcentury psychoanalyst David Rapaport[11] defined the term thus: "Books on psychoanalysis usually deal with its clinical theory... there exists, however, a fragmentary—yet consistent—general theory of psychoanalysis, which comprises the premises of the special (clinical) theory, the concepts built on it, and the generalizations derived from it... named metapsychology."[11]
Freud's metapsychology
The topographical point of view: the psyche operates at different levels of consciousness - unconscious, preconscious, and conscious
The dynamic point of view: the notion that there are psychological forces which may conflict with one another at work in the psyche
The economic point of view: the psyche contains charges of energy which are transferred from one element of the psyche to another
The structural point of view: the psyche consists of configurations of psychological processes which operate in different ways and reveal different rates of change - the ego, the id, and the superego
The genetic point of view: the origins - or "genesis" - of psychological processes can be found in developmentally previous psychological processes
Ego psychologist Heinz Hartmann also added 'the adaptive" point of view' to Freud's metapsychology, although Lacan who interpreted metapsychology as the symbolic, the Real, and the imaginary, said "the dimension discovered by analysis is the opposite of anything which progresses through adaptation."[12]
Criticism
Freud's metapsychology has faced criticism, mainly from ego psychology. Object relations theorists such as Melanie Klein, shifted the focus away from intrapsychic conflicts and towards the dynamics of interpersonal relationships, leading to a unifocal theory of development that focused on the mother-child relationship. Most ego psychologists saw the structural point of view, Freud's latest metapsychology, as the most important. Some proposed that only the structural point of view be kept in metapsychology, because the topographical point of view made an unnecessary distinction between the unconscious and the preconscious (Arlow & Brenner) and because the economic point of view was viewed as redundant (Gill).
^Erwin, Edward (2002). "Metapsychology (p. 337)". In Erwin, Edward (ed.). The Freud encyclopedia. Theory, therapy, and culture. New York City: Taylor & Francis. ISBN978-0-415-93677-4.
^Reeder, Jurgen (2002). Reflecting Psychoanalysis. Narrative and Resolve in the Psychoanalytic Experience. London: Karnac Books. p. 10. ISBN9781780497105.
^Spehlmann, Rainer (2013) [1953]. Sigmund Freuds Neurologische Schriften. Eine Untersuchung zur Vorgeschichte der Psychoanalyse (in German). Vienna: Springer-Verlag. p. 71. ISBN978-3-642-47345-6.
^Dunn, Jonathan (2009). "The foundational wisdom in Freud's and Loewald's metapsychologies". Modern Psychoanalysis. Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies. 34 (1): 2–25.
^Freud, Sigmund (1991). On metapsychology: the theory of psychoanalysis. Vol. 11. London: The Penguin Freud Library. p. 102. ISBN978-0-140-13801-6.
^ abErwin, Edward (2002). "Metapsychology (p. 339)".
^Lacan, Jacques (1991). The Ego in Freud's Theory and in the Technique of Psychoanalysis, 1954-1955. Norton. p. 86. ISBN0-393-30709-3.
Fayek, Ahmed (2013) [2012]. "Psychoanalysis without metapsychology (pp. 20ff.)". Freud's Other Theory of Psychoanalysis. The Replacement for the Indelible Theory of Catharsis. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN978-0-765-70957-8.
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Look up metapsychology in Wiktionary the free dictionary Metapsychology Greek meta beyond transcending and psyxologia psychology 1 is that aspect of any psychological theory which refers to the structure of the theory itself hence the prefix meta rather than to the entity it describes The psychology is about the psyche the metapsychology is about the psychology The term is used mostly in discourse about psychoanalysis the psychology developed by Sigmund Freud which was at its time regarded as a branch of science with roots in the work of Freud s scientific mentors and predecessors especially Helmholtz Brucke Charcot and Janet or more recently as a hermeneutics of understanding with roots in Freud s literary sources especially Sophocles and to a lesser extent Goethe and Shakespeare Interest on the possible scientific status of psychoanalysis has been renewed in the emerging discipline of neuropsychoanalysis whose major exemplar is Mark Solms The hermeneutic vision of psychoanalysis is the focus of influential works by Donna Orange Contents 1 Freud and the als ob problem 2 Freud s metapsychology 3 Criticism 4 See also 5 References 6 Further readingFreud and the als ob problem EditPsychoanalytic metapsychology is concerned with the fundamental structure and concepts of Freudian theory 1 Sigmund Freud first used the term on 13 February 1896 in a letter to Wilhelm Fliess 2 to refer to his addition of unconscious processes to the conscious ones of traditional psychology On March 10 1898 he wrote to Fliess It seems to me that German als ob 3 the theory of wish fulfillment has brought only the psychological solution and not the biological or rather metapsychical one I am going to ask you seriously by the way whether I may use the name metapsychology for my psychology that leads behind consciousness 4 Three years after completing his unpublished Project for a Scientific Psychology Freud s optimism had completely vanished In a letter dated September 22 of that year he told Fliess I am not at all in disagreement with you not at all inclined to leave psychology hanging in the air without an organic basis But apart from this conviction I do not know how to go on neither theoretically nor therapeutically and therefore must behave as if als lage 5 only the psychological were under consideration Why I cannot fit it together the organic and the psychological I have not even begun to fathom 6 When in his Autobiographical Study of 1925 Freud called his metapsychology a speculative superstructure the elements of which could be abandoned or changed once proven inadequate he was in the terminology of Kant s Critique of Judgment 7 proposing a psychology als ob or as if a heuristic model of mental functioning that did not necessarily correspond with external reality 8 A salient example of Freud s own metapsychology is his characterization of psychoanalysis as a simultaneously closed system fundamentally unrelated and impervious to the external world and as an open system inherently connected and responsive to environmental influence 9 In the 1910s Freud wrote a series of twelve essays to be collected as Preliminaries to a Metapsychology Five of these were published independently under the titles Instincts and Their Vicissitudes Repression The Unconscious A Metapsychological Supplement to the Theory of Dreams and Mourning and Melancholia The remaining seven remained unpublished an expression of Freud s ambivalence about his own attempts to articulate the whole of his vision of psychoanalysis In 1919 he wrote to Lou Andreas Salome Where is my Metapsychology In the first place it remains unwritten 10 In 1920 he published Beyond the Pleasure Principle a text with metaphysical ambitions Midcentury psychoanalyst David Rapaport 11 defined the term thus Books on psychoanalysis usually deal with its clinical theory there exists however a fragmentary yet consistent general theory of psychoanalysis which comprises the premises of the special clinical theory the concepts built on it and the generalizations derived from it named metapsychology 11 Freud s metapsychology EditThe topographical point of view the psyche operates at different levels of consciousness unconscious preconscious and conscious The dynamic point of view the notion that there are psychological forces which may conflict with one another at work in the psyche The economic point of view the psyche contains charges of energy which are transferred from one element of the psyche to another The structural point of view the psyche consists of configurations of psychological processes which operate in different ways and reveal different rates of change the ego the id and the superego The genetic point of view the origins or genesis of psychological processes can be found in developmentally previous psychological processesEgo psychologist Heinz Hartmann also added the adaptive point of view to Freud s metapsychology although Lacan who interpreted metapsychology as the symbolic the Real and the imaginary said the dimension discovered by analysis is the opposite of anything which progresses through adaptation 12 Criticism EditFreud s metapsychology has faced criticism mainly from ego psychology Object relations theorists such as Melanie Klein shifted the focus away from intrapsychic conflicts and towards the dynamics of interpersonal relationships leading to a unifocal theory of development that focused on the mother child relationship Most ego psychologists saw the structural point of view Freud s latest metapsychology as the most important Some proposed that only the structural point of view be kept in metapsychology because the topographical point of view made an unnecessary distinction between the unconscious and the preconscious Arlow amp Brenner and because the economic point of view was viewed as redundant Gill See also EditPhilosophy of mindReferences Edit a b Metapsychology Online Medical Dictionary Erwin Edward 2002 Metapsychology p 337 In Erwin Edward ed The Freud encyclopedia Theory therapy and culture New York City Taylor amp Francis ISBN 978 0 415 93677 4 Roudinesco Elisabeth Plon Michel 2013 2004 Worterbuch der Psychoanalyse Namen Lander Werke Begriffe in German Vienna Springer Verlag p 679 ISBN 978 3 709 10640 2 Reeder Jurgen 2002 Reflecting Psychoanalysis Narrative and Resolve in the Psychoanalytic Experience London Karnac Books p 10 ISBN 9781780497105 Spehlmann Rainer 2013 1953 Sigmund Freuds Neurologische Schriften Eine Untersuchung zur Vorgeschichte der Psychoanalyse in German Vienna Springer Verlag p 71 ISBN 978 3 642 47345 6 Freeman Walter J 2008 Wang Rubin Gu Fanji Shen Enhua eds Advances in Cognitive Neurodynamics Proceedings of the International Conference on Cognitive Neurodynamics 2007 Springer Science amp Business Media p 366 ISBN 978 1 402 08387 7 Cutrofello Andrew 1997 Imagining Otherwise Metapsychology and the Analytic a Posteriori Evanston Illinois Northwestern University Press p 105 ISBN 978 0 810 11400 5 Nicholls Angus Liebscher Martin eds 2010 Thinking the Unconscious Nineteenth Century German Thought Cambridge University Press p 103 ISBN 978 1 139 48967 6 Dunn Jonathan 2009 The foundational wisdom in Freud s and Loewald s metapsychologies Modern Psychoanalysis Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies 34 1 2 25 Freud Sigmund 1991 On metapsychology the theory of psychoanalysis Vol 11 London The Penguin Freud Library p 102 ISBN 978 0 140 13801 6 a b Erwin Edward 2002 Metapsychology p 339 Lacan Jacques 1991 The Ego in Freud s Theory and in the Technique of Psychoanalysis 1954 1955 Norton p 86 ISBN 0 393 30709 3 Further reading EditCutrofello Andrew 1997 Imagining Otherwise Metapsychology and the Analytic A Posteriori Evanston Illinois Northwestern University Press ISBN 978 0 810 11400 5 Fayek Ahmed 2013 2012 Psychoanalysis without metapsychology pp 20ff Freud s Other Theory of Psychoanalysis The Replacement for the Indelible Theory of Catharsis Lanham Maryland Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 978 0 765 70957 8 Gill Merton Max Holzman Philips S eds 1976 1959 Psychology Versus Metapsychology Psychoanalytic Essays in Memory of George S Klein Psychological Issues Monograph No 36 Vol 9 No 4 Madison Connecticut International Universities Press ISBN 978 0 823 65586 1 Laplanche Jean Pontalis Jean Bertrand 2018 1973 Metapsychology The Language of Psychoanalysis Abingdon on Thames Routledge ISBN 978 0 429 92124 7 Nagera Humberto ed 2014 1970 Metapsychology pp 19ff Basic Psychoanalytic Concepts on Metapsychology Conflicts Anxiety and Other Subjects Abingdon on Thames Routledge ISBN 978 1 31767042 1 Sembera Richard 2017 Metapsychology for Contemporary Psychoanalysis Mind World and Self Taylor amp Francis ISBN 978 1 315 27888 9 Portals Philosophy Psychology Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Metapsychology amp oldid 1115602894, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
