Macquarie University

Philosophy of Psychoanalysis - PSY353

For Freud, the aim of psychoanalysis was to enable us to work, love and play with a minimum of conflict. This unit addresses what gets in the way of our being able to do that. Theoretical but practical, it is relevant to many disciplines and to everyday life. Topics include our relation to our own feelings, impulses, memories, dreams and desires – issues focal to rumination, reflection, mindfulness, post-traumatic distress, and the kind of everyday discontent that makes people repeat old mistakes or self-medicate to forget them. It illustrates how our rage can reflect hidden ideals; the complexities of gender identity and interpersonal attraction; reveals how hidden currents in relationships of lust, love and power can derail those relationships, as well as how to discern and handle some of those hidden currents. This is psychoanalysis as a portable science enabling you to critique assumptions a theory (or person) is making and make connections between personal and cultural phenomena. Tensions between different genres of psychoanalysis are laid bare by exploring their different views on how development is affected by the body, emotion and our relationships to others. We ask questions that open up possibilities for discovery and for critical clarity.

Timetable Information

For unit timetable information and session dates for external offerings please visit the Timetables@Macquarie Website.