The macabre relationship between Marxism and psychoanalysis

[endicom]

Panam Post
Vanesa Vallejo
Apr. 2, 2018

The “Institute for Social Research” opened its doors for the first time in 1924, This organization, commonly known as the Frankfurt School, was a meeting place for Marxists that, in pursuit of bringing about drastic social changes, revived the political theory by moving it from the economic field to the social field.

After Max Horkheimer assumed the direction of the institute in 1930, he shifted investigations that until then were concentrated in the socioeconomic analysis of bourgeois society. This German Marxist intellectual, following the line of Georg Lukács, turned culture into the focus of study, displacing the economy as the fundamental structure for Marxism.

More... https://panampost.com/vanesa-vallejo/2018/04/02/the-macabre-relationship-between-marxism-and-psychoanalysis/

[truth_seeker]

I would enjoy hearing the take by Dr. Jordan Peterson on this.

He speaks of the history and concepts of psychology, and favors Cal Jung, and Nietzsche.

I like Jung also, for his concept of collective unconscious 

[endicom]

I would enjoy hearing the take by Dr. Jordan Peterson on this.

He speaks of the history and concepts of psychology, and favors Cal Jung, and Nietzsche.

I like Jung also, for his concept of collective unconscious

It's the 'collective' nature of psychology that I don't like.

[Sanguine]

I like Jung's idea of archetypes. They seem to have universal application.

And, of course the left has and will continue to use any weapons in the arsenal.   

[endicom]

I like Jung's idea of archetypes. They seem to have universal application.

I recall little of this but it makes sense that the essential nature of being human includes a common heritage.

As for psychology in general, what has improved for pervasiveness of it? Mental health?

[Sanguine]

I recall little of this but it makes sense that the essential nature of being human includes a common heritage.

As for psychology in general, what has improved for pervasiveness of it? Mental health?

Well....for one thing, we don't hide the crazy uncle in the attic any more or put him in a horrible asylum.  I do think more people* would benefit from longer term institutionalization and not dumped out on the street when their 72 hours are up, but not in a Bedlam.  Children with autism greatly benefit from early intervention and treatment.  Schizophrenics who are medicated and have behavioral therapy can be happy, healthy people.  People who need to work out some issues can benefit greatly from short term counseling.  Is that what you were asking?

*Maybe up to 1/2 of "homeless" people.

[endicom]

Well....for one thing, we don't hide the crazy uncle in the attic any more or put him in a horrible asylum.  I do think more people* would benefit from longer term institutionalization and not dumped out on the street when their 72 hours are up, but not in a Bedlam.  Children with autism greatly benefit from early intervention and treatment.  Schizophrenics who are medicated and have behavioral therapy can be happy, healthy people.  People who need to work out some issues can benefit greatly from short term counseling.  Is that what you were asking?

*Maybe up to 1/2 of "homeless" people.

No, I'm asking if we are, by and large, more mentally healthy than a century ago.

Medication is physical and not psychological treatment.

[Sanguine]

No, I'm asking if we are, by and large, more mentally healthy than a century ago.

Medication is physical and not psychological treatment.

Yes, but did you see the other comments I made?

Are people more mentally healthy now?  Interesting question.  I think the concept of "mental health" is a fairly recent one, and hard to compare.

I think of Olive Oatman.  We had a thread on her here somewhere in the past and there's a character in "Hell On Wheels" loosely based on her.  In case you don't remember it, she and here sister were kidnapped by Indians as a child, kept as slaves, the sister starved to death, and Olive was eventually rescued. 

Apparently, she had a difficult time reintegrating into anglo society, but in those days I think people just sucked it up and others just thought them odd and there was not the idea that people could or should be fixed. In this day and age, she would have been thought of as troubled and in need of care.

Which do I prefer?  Quite frankly, I prefer the stoic get-on-with-life approach, with a big but.  But, some people definitely need help and will benefit from it.