Erik Erikson and the American Psyche is an intellectual biography which explores Erikson's contributions to the study of infancy, childhood and ethical development in light of ego psychology, object-relations theory, Lacanian theory and other major trends in psychoanalysis. It analyses Erikson's famous portraits of Luther, Gandhi and Jesus, and his own ambiguous religious identity, in the context of his anguished childhood and adolescence, and his repeated emphasis on the need for strong intergenerational bonds to insure mental health throughout the life cycle. Given Erikson's persistent efforts to harmonize psychoanalysis with history and the human sciences, it interprets his invention of psychohistory as a 'pseudo-schism' which enabled Erikson to throw off the stifling constraints of Freudian orthodoxy, disclosing the personal and intellectual tensions that prevailed between him and many leaders of the International Psychoanalytic Association. Finally, it demonstrates the enduring relevance of Erikson's unique perspective on human development to our increasingly screen-saturated, drug addled postmodern - or 'posthuman' - culture, and the ways in which his posthumous neglect foreshadows the possible death of psychoanalysis in North America.
Daniel Burston was born in Israel, raised and educated in Toronto, and now lives in Pittsburgh, PA, where he chairs the department of psychology at Duquesne University. Dr. Burston is the author of numerous books and articles on the history and theory of psychoanalysis, and the many points of convergence between psychology, philosophy, religion and culture.
Table of Contents
0 Acknowledgements 0 Preface Chapter 1 In Hitler's Shadow Chapter 2 The New World Chapter 3 A Crisis of Integrity Chapter 4 Situating Erikson Chapter 5 Psychohistory - Luther and Gandhi Chapter 6 Evolution and Conscience in Darwin, Freud and Erikson Chapter 7 The Historicity of Dreams - Freud, Fliess & Jung Chapter 8 Erikson's Erasure
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John T. Chirban
Dr. Daniel Burston's Erik Erikson and the American Psyche is a remarkable and unusual find. This book illuminates Erikson's person, placing this psychological giant in context, consistently showing the quality of insight and psychological depth characteristic of Erikson himself. Burston's rich historical research and psychological precision demonstrates how psychobiography should be done, providing us with a unique and substantive portrait of a revered icon of modern psychology.