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[[Kleinian psychoanalysis]] is the name given to the [[school]] of [[psychoanalytic theory]] that has grown up around the pioneering workj of the Austrian psychoanalyst [[Melanie Klein]] (1882-1960).
Born in Vienna, [[Klein]] settled in England in 1926 and remained there for the rest of her life.
[[Kleinian psychoanalysis]] first began to emerge as a distinctive school of [[psychoanalytic theory]] during the 1940s in opposition to the group which gathered around [[Anna Freud]] after the latter's move to London.
However, it was not until after the war that other analysts began to become known as 'Kleinians' and to develop a substantial body of [[Klein]]ian [[thought]].
Along with the two other major non-Lacanian [[school]]s of [[psychoanalytic theory]] ([[ego-psychology]] and [[object-relations theory]]) [[Kleinian psychoanalysis]] forms a major point of reference for [[Lacan]] against which he puts forward his own particular reading of [[Freud]].
[[Lacan]]'s criticisms of [[Klein]] are therefore important to understanding the originality of his position.
While it is impossible to mention all of these criticisms here, some of the moat important of them may be summarized as follows.
# [[Lacan]] criticizes [[Klein]] for placing too much emphasis on the [[mother]] and neglecting the role of the [[father]].<ref>{{Ec}} p.728-9</ref>
# [[Lacan]] criticizes [[Klein]] for theorizing [[fantasy]] entirely in the [[imaginary] [[order]].
Such an approach is a misconception, argues [[Lacan]], since it fails to take into account the [[symbolic]] [[structure]] that underpins all [[imaginary]] [[formation]]s.
# [[Lacan]] disagrees with [[Klein]]'s views on the early development of the [[Oedipus complex]].
For [[Lacan]], all debate on the precise dating of the [[Oedipus complex]] is futile, since it is not primarily a [[stage]] of [[development]] but a permanent [[structure]] of [[subject]]ivity.
(Insofar as the [[Oedipus complex]] can be located in time, [[Lacan]] would not locate it as early as [[Klein]] does. Thus while [[Klein]] seems almost to deny the [[existence]] of a [[preoedipal phase]], [[Lacan]] argues that there is one.)
# Closely connected to the preceding point are [[Lacan]]'s differences with respect to "Melanie Klein's encroachments into the pre-verbal areas of the unconscious."<ref>1951.11</ref>
For [[Lacan]], there are no pre-verbal areas of the [[unconscious]], since the [[unconscious]] is a linguistic [[structure]].
# [[Lacan]] criticizes [[Klein]]'s interpreative style as being particularly brutal.
In reference to the young [[patient]] ('Dick') whom [[Klein]] discusses in her paper on symbol formation, [[Lacan]] remarks that "she slams the symboolism on him with complete brutality."<ref>{{S1}} p.68</ref>
However, to portray [[Lacan]] as entirely critical of [[Klein]] would be to oversimplify the matter.
For while [[Lacan]]'s disagreements with [[Kleinian psychoanalysis]] are at least as great as his disagreement with [[ego-psychology]] and [[object-relations theory]], his comments on [[Klein]] are not characterized by the same dismissive tone which is evident in his acerbic criticisms of [[analyst]]s from these other two [[school]]s.
He certainly regards it as superior to [[ego-psychology]].
He also states that [[Melanie Klein]] is certainly more faithful to [[Freud]] than [[Anna Freud]] regarding the theory of transference.<ref>{{S8}} p.369</ref>
In his pre-1950s writings, there are many allusions to [[Klein]]'s work on the [[mother]]-[[child]] relationship and the various [[imago]]s that operate in [[fantasy]].
After 1950, [[Lacan]] praises [[Klein]] for emphasizing te importance of the [[death drive]] in [[psychoanalytic theory]] and for developing the concept of the [[part-object]] (though Lacan's formulations on this concept different greatly from [[Klein]]'s).
==See Also==
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Schools]]
[[Category:Psychoanalysis]]
[[Category:Dictionary]]
[[Category:Jacques Lacan]]
[[Category:Help]]
[[Category:New]]
Born in Vienna, [[Klein]] settled in England in 1926 and remained there for the rest of her life.
[[Kleinian psychoanalysis]] first began to emerge as a distinctive school of [[psychoanalytic theory]] during the 1940s in opposition to the group which gathered around [[Anna Freud]] after the latter's move to London.
However, it was not until after the war that other analysts began to become known as 'Kleinians' and to develop a substantial body of [[Klein]]ian [[thought]].
Along with the two other major non-Lacanian [[school]]s of [[psychoanalytic theory]] ([[ego-psychology]] and [[object-relations theory]]) [[Kleinian psychoanalysis]] forms a major point of reference for [[Lacan]] against which he puts forward his own particular reading of [[Freud]].
[[Lacan]]'s criticisms of [[Klein]] are therefore important to understanding the originality of his position.
While it is impossible to mention all of these criticisms here, some of the moat important of them may be summarized as follows.
# [[Lacan]] criticizes [[Klein]] for placing too much emphasis on the [[mother]] and neglecting the role of the [[father]].<ref>{{Ec}} p.728-9</ref>
# [[Lacan]] criticizes [[Klein]] for theorizing [[fantasy]] entirely in the [[imaginary] [[order]].
Such an approach is a misconception, argues [[Lacan]], since it fails to take into account the [[symbolic]] [[structure]] that underpins all [[imaginary]] [[formation]]s.
# [[Lacan]] disagrees with [[Klein]]'s views on the early development of the [[Oedipus complex]].
For [[Lacan]], all debate on the precise dating of the [[Oedipus complex]] is futile, since it is not primarily a [[stage]] of [[development]] but a permanent [[structure]] of [[subject]]ivity.
(Insofar as the [[Oedipus complex]] can be located in time, [[Lacan]] would not locate it as early as [[Klein]] does. Thus while [[Klein]] seems almost to deny the [[existence]] of a [[preoedipal phase]], [[Lacan]] argues that there is one.)
# Closely connected to the preceding point are [[Lacan]]'s differences with respect to "Melanie Klein's encroachments into the pre-verbal areas of the unconscious."<ref>1951.11</ref>
For [[Lacan]], there are no pre-verbal areas of the [[unconscious]], since the [[unconscious]] is a linguistic [[structure]].
# [[Lacan]] criticizes [[Klein]]'s interpreative style as being particularly brutal.
In reference to the young [[patient]] ('Dick') whom [[Klein]] discusses in her paper on symbol formation, [[Lacan]] remarks that "she slams the symboolism on him with complete brutality."<ref>{{S1}} p.68</ref>
However, to portray [[Lacan]] as entirely critical of [[Klein]] would be to oversimplify the matter.
For while [[Lacan]]'s disagreements with [[Kleinian psychoanalysis]] are at least as great as his disagreement with [[ego-psychology]] and [[object-relations theory]], his comments on [[Klein]] are not characterized by the same dismissive tone which is evident in his acerbic criticisms of [[analyst]]s from these other two [[school]]s.
He certainly regards it as superior to [[ego-psychology]].
He also states that [[Melanie Klein]] is certainly more faithful to [[Freud]] than [[Anna Freud]] regarding the theory of transference.<ref>{{S8}} p.369</ref>
In his pre-1950s writings, there are many allusions to [[Klein]]'s work on the [[mother]]-[[child]] relationship and the various [[imago]]s that operate in [[fantasy]].
After 1950, [[Lacan]] praises [[Klein]] for emphasizing te importance of the [[death drive]] in [[psychoanalytic theory]] and for developing the concept of the [[part-object]] (though Lacan's formulations on this concept different greatly from [[Klein]]'s).
==See Also==
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Schools]]
[[Category:Psychoanalysis]]
[[Category:Dictionary]]
[[Category:Jacques Lacan]]
[[Category:Help]]
[[Category:New]]
