AN OUTLINE OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. PART 1. THE NATURE OF PSYCHE

Abstract

«An Outline of Psychoanalysis” is an attempt to formulate the fundamental principles of psychoanalytic theory and practice. It combines topographical (consciousness, preconscious, unconscious) and structural (Id, Ego, Superego) concepts regarding the structure of the psyche. This combination is largely based on implicit physiological metaphors that abound in Freud’s later works, primarily “Beyond the Pleasure Principle” (1920) and “Ego and Id” (1923). If most of Freud’s introductory texts, such as “Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis” (1916-1917, in English 1920) or “Five Lectures on Psychoanalysis” (1910), are mostly addressed to the average reader and do not require a detailed acquaintance with psychoanalytic literature, then “An Outline of Psychoanalysis” is primarily addressed to specialists – this is a new, however, final view of the master’s own creation. Freud began working on the text of “An Outline of Psychoanalysis” no earlier than spring or no later than the summer 1938. That is either before leaving Vienna (April-May), escaping persecution by the Nazis, or already being in London (July). Freud emigrated to London in June 1938. By the beginning of September 1938, Freud had written 63 manuscript sheets. Unfortunately, an urgent operation interrupted his work on the text. Therefore, Freud did not return to his idea anymore. However, despite the fact that the text “An Outline of Psychoanalysis” is unfinished, this does not diminish its significance for understanding the history of analytical thinking and for understanding psychoanalytic theory and practice. It is not only thematically integral but also contains a more detailed discussion of some topics among which are problems of the splitting of the Ego and object relations. In the first issue of the «Ukrainian Psychoanalytic Journal,» we publish the translation of the second part of « An Outline of Psychoanalysis « (Part 1. The Nature of Psyche) into the Ukrainian language. With this translation, we aim to start a series of translations and discussions of classic psychoanalytic texts.