Self Psychology and the Humanities: Reflections on a New Psychoanalytic Approach

Heinz Kohut, one of the most influential psychoanalysts of the twentieth century, developed the concepts and theories of self psychology. This posthumous book presents his writings and teachings, about the role of the individual, as well as of the "group self," in history, art, religion, and politics. Through the application of self psychology to literature and history, Kohut illuminates the role of the "nuclear self" in the hero and the tragic man, exemplified by Shakespeare's Hamlet, and probes the meaning of historical events, such as the rise of Hitler in Germany.

Included are previously unpublished essays on courage, leadership, and the self in society, earlier published papers presenting the theoretical basis of Kohut's ideas, and transcripts of conversations between Kohut and Strozier about cultures as interpreted by depth psychology.

Psychoanalysts, as well as historians and others interested in the history of ideas, will welcome the publication of Kohut's last work.