Book Review: The Revision of Psychoanalysis

The Revision of Psychoanalysis by Erich Fromm, Westview Press, Boulder, CO. (1992) Duquesne University.

The Revision of Psychoanalysis consists of several lengthy fragments composed between 1968 and 1970, and is best regarded as a companion to another volume, The Crisis of Psychoanalysis, which was published around the same time (Fromm 1970). Reading it was a pleasure for this reviewer because this posthumous book substantiates many of my arguments and intuitions in The Legacy of Erich Fromm, published a year before (Burston, 1991). Fromm's sharp ambivalence about being grouped with Horney and Sullivan in the "cultural school" is plain throughout, and countered with insistent reminders that his work is closer to both Freud and Marx than theirs. Equally apparent is his steadfast veneration for Freud, despite his Marxist leanings, which is evidenced in his attempt to salvage what is timelessly relevant in classical theory from what is obsolete or culturally conditioned. He frequently refers to Freud as "the master", and occasionally lapses into naive idealization despite his insistent critique of Freud's patriarchalism, his mechanistic materialism, his infantilization of the patient through reliance on the couch, and so on.

Despite his outspoken revisionist agenda, Fromm's pious need to idealize Freud is truly startling at times. For example, he claimed (Chapter 2) that Freud often repressed the awareness of some of the deeper ramifications of his own ideas; a fact evidenced, presumably, in the many contradictory formulations and logical lapses in his evolving life's work, particularly as regards the maternal imago. Fromm then noted that the motives behind this kind of theoretical self-censorship may include fear of scandal and ostracism, deep seated personal complexes, intense narcissism and in Freud's case, a fear of sowing confusion and division among the analytic rank and file. Oddly enough, on p 23, Fromm confidently dismisses the possibility that narcissism "played an important part" in this process although Freud's personal correspondence and the diligent researches of Paul Roazen (among others) demonstrate conclusively that Freud's narcissistic investment in his own ideas was quite profound and precluded genuine dialogue between him and his more creative disciples, (e.g. Jung, Tausk, Ferenczi, Rank, etc).

Despite this lapse in judgement, Fromm scholars will find this volume helpful in several respects. It contains his most detailed discussion of transference and of clinical technique to date. It contains a generous appraisal of Wilhelm Reich's clinical contributions, which is noteworthy because of the personal friction that existed between Reich and Fromm since the late 1920's, and which rendered Fromm more critical or reticent about Reich in other contexts (Burston, 1991). Sadly, however, it is somewhat vague, as

Fromm gives no indication of which features of Reich's non-verbal, body-centered therapy might be incorporated into the clinical setting intensively enough. The Revision of Psychoanalysis also contains a highly positive appraisal of R.D. Laing (circa 1967), and an ambivalent but balanced and thoughtful appraisal of the sexual revolution and counter-culture movements of the 60's and 71's, which are chiefly of historic interest. In addition to all this 'new' material, this book contains several refrains and elaborations on old, familiar themes. According to Fromm sexual hangups have been replaced by alienation and chronic diffuse anxiety, a fear of feeling deeply and a widespread cultural tendency to consumerism and passivisation as the symptoms that most frequently confront the average analyst. Psychoanalysis must revise its theoretical underpinnings to account for these phenomena and in order to do so effectively Fromm though it must relinquish Freud's mechanistic materialism and re-orient itself along the lines of historical materialism, "process thinking" and existential-phenomenology. It must also divest itself of its tendency to regard itself as a purely clinical specialization and confront the chronically low-grade schizoid character of consumeristic society, the so-called pathology of normalcy or it will loose its critical, disillusioning function.

As is invariably the case, however, in indicating new directions for analytic inquiry, references to object-relations theory, self-psychology and Lacanian thought are conspicuous by their absence. Lest anyone take exception to this remarkable state of affairs, they might pause to reflect that references to Fromm's ideas are equally elusive in these literatures as well. Despite many remarkable convergences between them on various points (Burston, 1991)

Despite its virtues, this book lacks the stylistic strengths of some of Fromm's earlier books, and for the uninitiated especially, will not serve as a general introduction. For example, Fromm devotes a great deal of reflection to his debate with philosopher Herbert Marcuse, and those unfamiliar with Marcuse's work as well may soon find themselves losing their bearings, or simply losing interest (For a detailed analysis of the Fromm/Marcuse debate, however, see Burston, 1991). Those already familiar with Fromm, however, will find much of value and interest here, particularly those who retain an interest in radical psychoanalysis. The editor, Rainer Funk, is to be congratulated for seeing that this new/old material finally saw the light of day.

Daniel Burston, PhD.