What is it about?
This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the obscured presence of the other within foundational psychoanalytic theory. By examining the frameworks of central theorists such as Freud and Winnicott, it demonstrates a pervasive narcissistic bias—an overarching preoccupation with the self and ego rather than with interpersonal relationships as independent phenomena. Crucially, after establishing and proving the existence of this bias throughout the history of the discipline, the chapter concludes by posing the fundamental question that drives the rest of the book: Why did this profound theoretical bias occur in the first place?
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Why is it important?
This chapter is crucial because it exposes a structural blind spot at the very heart of mainstream psychoanalytic history. By re-reading the field's most celebrated canonical figures, it systematically uncovers an unnoticed bias that prioritized the self over the relational bond. Most importantly, it serves as the essential baseline for the entire book, shifting the reader from passive acceptance of classical theory to an active, driving investigation into why this systemic bias occurred.
Perspectives
Systematically tracing the writings of central psychoanalytic theorists forced me to confront a shared blind spot: the way the actual 'other' consistently faded into the background. Articulating this pervasive narcissistic bias allowed me to validate a lingering professional discomfort I had felt for years but could never fully pin down. When I reached the end of the chapter and formulated the question "Why did this happen?", it felt like a point of no return—the exciting moment where my personal clinical intuition turned into a rigorous, driving investigation. ``` --- ### הגרסה המעודכנת בעברית:ב.
Orna Afek
Tamuz Institute
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This page is a summary of: The elusive presence of the separate other in psychoanalytic theory and practice, January 2025, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.4324/9781003538295-1.
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