Ego, Hunger, and Aggression: A Revision of Freud’s Theory and Method

273 Pages·1947·6.3 MB·English

by  Frederick S. Perls

THOMASJ. BATA LIBRARY
TRENT UNIVERSITY
.
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EGO, HUNGER AND
AGGRESSION

EGO, HUNGER AND
AGGRESSION
A Revision of
Freud’s Theory and Method
by
F. S. PERLS
M.D.
Capt., S.A.M.C.
London
GEORGE ALLEN AND UNWIN LTD
FIRST PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND 1947
All rights reserved
To the Memory
of
MAX WERTHEIMER
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
in 11-Point Plantin Type
BY UNWIN BROTHERS LIMITED
WOKING
Preface
This book has many faults and shortcomings. Of that I am fully aware.
I therefore warn the reader to expect them, though I cannot apologize
for their presence.
If I could have written a better book I would have done so; if I had
been speaking English for more than a decade, both my vocabulary and
my ways of expression would have been more adequate. A higher I.Q.
would have enabled me to visualize more fundamental structures and to
discover more contradictions in other theories as well as in my own.
If I had only had fifty to one hundred years more experience, I would
have swamped the reader with case histories. And if I had a better
memory . . . ; and if there was not a war . . . ; etc.
At present there are many “Psychologies,” and every school is, at least
in part, right. But, alas, every school is also righteous. The tolerant
Professor of Psychology in most cases takes the different schools out of
their respective pigeon holes, discusses them, shows his preference for
one or two of them, but how little he does towards their integration!
I have attempted to show that something of this nature can be done,
if one throws bridges across the gaps; and I can only hope to be able to
stimulate hundreds of other psychologists, psycho-analysts, psychiatrists,
etc. to do the same.
In writing this book I have had much help, stimulation and encourage¬
ment from books, friends and teachers; but above all from my wife,
Dr. Lore Peris. The discussions I have had with her of the problems
brought forward in this book have clarified many issues; and she has
made valuable contributions to this work; as, for instance, the description
of the dummy attitude.
To Professor K. Goldstein I owe my first acquaintance with gestalt
psychology. Unfortunately, in 1926, when I worked under him at the
Frankfurt Neurological Institute, I was still too pre-occupied with the
orthodox psycho-analytical approach, to assimilate more than a fraction
of what was offered to me.
It was W. Reich who first directed my attention to a most important
aspect of psycho-somatic medicine—to the function of the motoric system
as an armour.
Finally, I thank my friends for helping me to overcome my language
difficulties, and for their technical assistance.
Since I wrote the manuscript of this book a few years ago, more practical
work has justified the theories which I put forward in this book. But these
theories are only a beginning. At present I am engaged on research work
on the malfunctioning of the figure-background phenomenon in psychoses
in general and on the structure of Schizophrenia in particular. It is too
5 264683
EGO, HUNGER AND AGGRESSION
early yet to say what the results will be; but it looks as though something
will come of it. I therefore hope that I shall, in the not too distant
future, be able to shed some light on this mysterious disease.
For the time being, therefore, I present this book as a contribution to
organismic (psycho-somatic) medicine. A step has been taken towards
the ultimate goal—an integrated theory which covers every physical and
psychical phenomenon. Remote as we are from this goal, we know by
now that it does exist and that it can be reached by a synthesis and co¬
operation of all the different schools in existence at present; but such a
synthesis must be preceded by a ruthless purge of all merely hypothetical
ideas; especially of those hypotheses which have become rigid, static
convictions and which, in the minds of some, have become reality rather
than elastic theories, and which have yet to be re- and re-examined.
This manuscript was written in 1941/I942- Many references to acute
political and military situations will be out of date by the time the
book is in the reader’s hands, but still relevant within their particular
context.
F. S. PERLS
134, MILITARY HOSPITAL. SOUTH AFRICA
December 1944
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