Autonomous ego

From No Subject

[edit] Ego-Psychology

The term "autonomous ego" was coined by the proponents of ego-psychology.

[edit] Adaptation

According to the proponents of ego-psychology, the ego becomes autonomous by achieving a harmonious balance between its primitive drives and the dictates of reality.

The autonomous ego is thus synomymous with "the strong ego," "the well-adapted ego," "the healthy ego."

[edit] Identification

Psychoanalysis was conceived of by the proponents of ego-psychology as the process of helping the analysand ego to become autonomous: this was supposed to be achieved by the identification of the analysand with the strong ego of the analyst.

[edit] Narcissism

Lacan is very critical of the concept of the autonomous ego.^[1]

He argues that the ego is not free but determined by the symbolic order.

[edit] Symbolic Order

The autonomy of the ego is simply a narcissistic illusion of mastery.

It is the symbolic order, and not the ego, which enjoys autonomy.

[edit] See Also

Adaptation Analysand Analyst

Ego Ego-psychology Identification

Narcissism Psychology Reality

[edit] References