‘Living with the idea of bearing a death-force fundamentally directed at oneself is hardly easy to admit. It is less so in any case than the idea that we are all murderers, that we are ever ready to plead legitimate defence or the need to survive so as to strike out at another.’ André Green, from the Foreword
André Green was a key figure in contemporary psychoanalysis, who embraced philosophy and an international outlook to enhance psychoanalytic theory. This book was one of his last works, originally published in French as Pourquoi les pulsions de destruction ou de mort? in 2012. Green’s defence of one of Freud’s most daring revisions of his drive theory remains relevant to psychoanalytic work today, and it is an honour to bring this excellent translation to the English-speaking world. To enhance its worth, the book includes an introduction from translator Steven Jaron to clarify certain technical terms and situate the book within Green’s oeuvre. This book is an important contribution to the development of psychoanalytic theory and essential reading for all trainee and practising psychoanalysts.
CONTENTS
Introduction by Howard B. Levine
Translator’s Note
On the Edition of 2010
Foreword
Chapter 1: Foundations
I.I Hypotheses on the Genesis of the Death Drive
I.II From the Repetition Compulsion (Constraint) to Primal Reproduction
I.III The Retractable Scaffolding of Narcissism
I.IV The False Symmetry of Sadomasochism
I.V Reworkings, Advances, Transpositions
I.VI Conclusion: Transcendence in Freud
Note on Empedocles of Acragas
Chapter 2: The Death Drive’s Shockwave: Ferenczi, Melanie Klein, Bion, Winnicott, Lacan and Others. Remarks on Some Clinical Structures
II.I Ferenczi and Mutual Analysis
II.II Melanie Klein and Full-Blown Destruction
II.III W.R. Bion and the Return to Thinking
II.IV D.W. Winnicott: The Environment-Individual Pair
II.V French Contributions from Lacan to Balier
II.VI Pierre Marty’s Psychosomatics
II.VII Disruption of Self-Preservation
II.VIII The Unity and Diversity of Depression
II.IX Pathology and Normality of Suicide(s)
II.X Brief Remarks on Clinical Practice
Fermata
Chapter 3: The Death Drive in the Social Field: Civilization and Its Discontents
III.I The Death Drive in Culture
III.II Primal Parricide
III.III Recent Discussions on Cultural Process
III.IV The Death Drive and Language: Laurence Kahn
Appendix: The Return to Biology: Apoptosis or Self-Programmed Natural Death
Leave-Taking, Updated
Tentative Conclusion
References
Index