Psychohistory

This work is the first comprehensive text in the field of psychohistory that presents both the theory and the practice of this interdisciplinary field. The presentation of psychoanalytic theory in this work includes the fundamental contributions made by Freud as well as the post-Freudian developments. Another unique feature of this work, because psychohistory is so controversial, is that the pros and cons are presented, thereby putting the field in better relief. This work accentuates how psychohistory differs from traditional history, and how psychohistory is more insightful in the study of the individual, the family, and the group. In sum, Psychohistory: Theory and Practice demonstrates how psychohistory is transforming the study of history and why psychohistory is so promising for our understanding of mankind.

Autorentext

The Author: Jacques Szaluta holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and is Professor of History at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He is the author of La psychohistoire (1987) in the Que sais-je series, coeditor with Laurie Adams of Psychoanalysis and the Humanities (1996), and has published widely on many aspects of modern European history and psychohistory. He is a graduate of the New York Center for Psychoanalytic Training.

Zusammenfassung
«There is no comparable systematic and encompassing examination of the field of psychohistory as Jacques Szaluta's 'Psychohistory: Theory and Practice'. His work is a welcome and significant contribution to this interdisciplinary field. This study is richly informative because of the range of the issues and topics presented, which includes an analysis of American as well as European psychohistorical and psychoanalytic currents. It is well written, insightful, and masterfully discusses the multifaceted aspects of this discipline. With this volume, Szaluta brilliantly fills a lacuna existing from the beginning of psychohistory to the present. This impressive and stimulating book is a splendid scholarly achievement and is highly recommended for a wide readership.» (David J. Fisher, Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Senior Faculty Member, Los Angeles Psychoanalytic Society and Institute)
«This is the very best survey of the exciting field of psychohistory available in any language. The book provides an insightful introduction to this path-breaking method of scholarship which will be used in intellectual, cultural, historiography, and historical methods courses. It also appeals to the literate general reader who does not fear being stimulated by lucidly presented new interdisciplinary ideas. Szaluta's special competence in French psychoanalysis is an absolute asset.» (Peter Loewenberg, Professor of History and Political Psychology, UCLA, Training and Supervising Analyst, Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute)