Seduction, Drive and Repetition - (Figures of the Unconscious) by Herman Westerink & Philippe Van Haute (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This book makes the compelling argument that the key to understanding Freud's clinical writings and psychoanalytical theories lies in his trauma theory. The authors argue that Freud never truly abandoned his initial trauma theory - the seduction theory - in favour of the Oedipus complex and the primacy of fantasy life. Instead, Freud progressively enriched his understanding of trauma, expanding his theory to include references to the evolution of human beings and organic life. Trauma runs as a red thread throughout Freud's oeuvre. It occupies a central position in both his clinical case studies and his meta-psychological speculations. Freud ultimately develops a metaphysics of trauma and a tragic view of human existence - a worldview that continues to resonate within contemporary philosophy and psychoanalysis.

Review Quotes

Written by practicing psychoanalysts and longtime Freud-scholars, this study opens new perspectives on the inside-outside interweave of trauma, the role of time and personal history in the development of its related neuroses, and a serious but critical appraisal of Freud's group psychology. - Bettina Bergo, Université de Montréal

'Seduction, Drive and Repetition' offers a bold, lucid, and impressively well-argued reexamination of the vital role that trauma plays in Freud's understanding of psychic life. By showing how the question of trauma drives much of Freud's thinking, Westerink and Van Haute provide a rich and precise historical account that also serves as a provocative alternative to the accepted reception of Freud. This book should be considered essential reading by anyone interested in psychoanalysis. - Elissa Marder, Emory University

About the Author

Herman Westerink is an endowed and associate professor at the Center for Contemporary European Philosophy at Radboud University Nijmegen.

Philippe Van Haute () was a full professor at the Center for Contemporary European Philosophy, Radboud University Nijmegen, and extraordinary professor at the University of Pretoria.