Psychoanalytic Theories of Affect

238 Pages·1999·11.36 MB·English

by  Ruth Stein

Psychoanalytic Theories of Affect

PSYCHOANALYTIC
THEORIES OF AFFECT
by
Ruth Stein
Foreword by
Joseph Sandler
W A C B OOKS
London
Firstpublished in 1991 by Praeger Publishers
Thisedition published in 1999by
H. Karnac (Books) Ltd.
58 Gloucester Road
London SW7 4QY
by arrangementwith Ruth Stein
Copyright0 1991 Ruth Stein
All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system,or transmitted in any fom,orby any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying,ncordingorotherwise,w ithout the prior
permission of the Publisher.
British Librarycataloguing in Publication Data
A C.I.P. record for this book isavailable from the British Library.
ISBN 1 85575 231 X
Contents
Foreword by Joseph Sandler vii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
I. Freud's Writings on Affect I
2. Theories of Affect in the Last Years of Freud and after His
Death: Jones, Brierley, Glover
3. Ego Psychology and the Affects
4. Affects and Positions: Melanie Klein. Wilfred Bion
5. Affects as Feeling States and as Value Functions: Joseph
Sandler
6. An "Ego Psychological Object Relations" Model of
Affect: Otto Kernberg
7. The French School: And& Green-A Discourse on Affects
8. Recent Trends in Affect Theories in Psychology
vi Conlenls
9. The Relevance of Recent Trends in Theories of Emotion in
Psychology and Infant Studies to Psychoanalytic Affect
Theory 159
10. Conclusions and New Directions 169
Notes 191
References 195
Author Index 213
Subject Index 217
Foreword
The role of affect is becoming increasingly important in psychoanalytic theory.
Freud's theories of affect, in which affects were seen as derivatives of the
instinctual drives, have proved to be inadequate, yet the different theories on
the role and nature of affect put forward by psychoanalysis have proved equally
unsatisfactory so far. The present book, which is based on a project carried out
under my supervision, attempts to address the essence of these problems. Dr.
Stein achieved the rare cum laude for her doctorate.
Ruth Stein has considered the history of psychoanalytic theories of affect and
has undertaken a comparative study of these theories as they have appeared in
the analytic literature. In my opinion, this book is by far the best review of the
psychoanalytic theories of affect so far available. It includes a consideration of
the work of British and French analysts, normally neglected by the significant
writers in this area in the United States. It takes into account the work of such
nonanalytic writers as Tomkins, Lazarus, and Mandler, and teases out the implicit
theory of affect embedded in the writings of Melanie Klein and her followers.
This review has enabled Dr. Stein to put forward a number of formulations in
regard to the requirements for developing a suitable and appropriate psychoan-
alytic theory of affect. In doing this work, Dr. Stein has drawn on relevant work
in adjacent areas of psychology.
Ruth Stein has a brilliant academic mind, which she has been applying in the
psychoanalytic field for many years. She has been involved in the practice of
psychoanalytic psychotherapy, as well as conducting supervised cases at the
Israel Institute of Psychoanalysis over the past few years. She is also interested
in the integration of the knowledge accumulated in experimental and cognitive
psychology with psychoanalytic knowledge. She has an excellent background
viii Foreword
in philosophy and has conducted experimental work in psychology in collabo-
ration with Daniel Kahneman.
Her comprehensive analysis charts and clarifies the complex domain of affect
theory, cutting across different theoretical streams and disciplines. Dr. Stein
succeeds in reaching a series of conclusions that, though not comprising a de-
finitive new theory, certainly lays much of the groundwork for a future theory
that will, of necessity, have to be close to clinical experience. At the same time
she cautions us against possible pitfalls in further theoretical development in the
area of affect. She sketches the central themes of a future theory, e.g., the so-
called self-generation of affects, their intricate links with cognition and moti-
vation, changing concepts of emotional maturation, and the role of affects in
shaping self and object relationships. In this regard her work is not only an
excellent piece of historical research but also a significant conceptual study.
The range and depth of the discussion of the problem involved in the psy-
choanalytic theory of affect, the eminently readable style, and the fresh critical
thought manifested in this study make it a recommended book for psychoanalysts,
psychotherapists, psychologists, and indeed all those interested in the history of
ideas.
Joseph Sandler
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I wish to thank Joseph Sandler for his great help, steady
encouragement, and intellectual stimulation during the years of research and
writing of my doctoral thesis, on which this book is based.
During the years 1982-1984, in which he was professor at the Freud Centre
at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, I was granted a scholarship by the Freud
Centre, which helped me to start the work.
Professor Sandler guided me toward thinking in terms of psychoanalytic the-
ory. I enjoyed the savor of his immense knowledge, his love for clear and precise
formulations, and his dislike of half-baked ideas posing as complete and self-
evident.
For two years I participated in an unforgettable seminar at the Freud Centre.
Every week, Itamar Levy, Meir Perlov, Carlo Strenger, some others, and I
presented the work we were doing, while Joseph Sandler would listen, comment,
pose intriguing questions, and share with us some of his latest ideas as they were
ripening in his mind. We continued this small group for years afterward; we
described to each other our work in progress, debated, criticized, and helped
with suggestions. Theories, philosophies, and conceptualizations came alive
during those intense discussions.
I also wish to thank analysts Jacob Arlow, Andrtf Green, Otto Kernberg, and
Pinchas Noy and philosopher Eddy Zemach for the stimulating talks we had on
affects, either personally, by letter, or both. Each from his own perspective
illuminated for me some central issues with which I had been grappling at that
time.
Naomi Goldblum has not only been a good friend, responding to the vicis-