Description
Book SynopsisAbraham Drassinower takes a fresh look at Freud, countering his prevalent image as a man pessimistically renouncing the possibility of social, political, and cultural change.
Trade ReviewIn this slender, elegantly written volume, Drassinower argues that Freud's theory of culture 'culminates not in pessimistic resignation but in a richly textured pedagogical reflection.' Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
Clearly written and well researched, Freud's Theory of Culture provides a probing philosophical scrutiny of Freud and the implications of his thought for social and political theory, ethics, education, and, more broadly, philosophy of life. -- Douglas Kellner, UCLA; author of Media Culture and Media Spectacle and the Crisis of Democracy
Freud's Theory of Culture is a pleasure to read. The work reveals a high degree of intelligence and learning. It has something to say and it says it clearly, elegantly, often poignantly. It is worthy of being read by anyone who works on Freud or his relationship to culture and politics. -- Melissa Orlie, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Abraham Drassinower's book presents a very sober and thoughtful account of the centrality of mourning in culture and politics apropos of Sigmucd Freud's psychoanalysis. * Politician Studies Review, (Uk) *
By focusing on Freud's preoccupation with death, Drassinower not only offers us a highly original interpretation of this seminal thinker; he also finds in the Freudian project quite unexpected resources for thinking sanely about our own cultural predicaments. -- Victor Wolfenstein, University of California, Los Angeles
Correcting the popular image of Freud as a morose pessimist, Drassinower presents him as a sober theorist of culture—where 'culture' means a pedagogy of 'mourning' which relentlessly pursues traces of Eros in the midst of our entanglement with death. Viewed in this way, Freud also emerges as a significant political thinker, steering a course between Hobbesian fear of death and Hegelian reconciliation, in the direction of an endeavor to lengthen creatively our 'circuitous paths to death.' A remarkably thoughtful, lucidly written work. -- Fred Dallmayr, University of Notre Dame
Abraham Drassinower brings new life to an old discussion. Drassinower gives us much to think about in this book. * Perspectives on Politics *
An intelligent book. . . . It represents a significant contribution to Freud scholarship. * Canadian Journal of Political Science *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Eros, Loss and Death Chapter 3 Between Hobbes and Hegel Chapter 4 The Abandonment of Hypnosis Chapter 5 The Precarious Chances of Eros Chapter 6 Pedagogical Hopes for the Future Chapter 7 Concluding Remarks Chapter 8 Selected Bibliography
