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Principles of Organisation of Psychic Energy Within Psychoanalysis View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Unisa Institutional Repository Principles of Organisation of Psychic Energy within Psychoanalysis: a Systems Theory Perspective by John Patrick Connolly submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the subject of PSYCHOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: Professor Vasi van Deventer Submitted 21 May 2016 PRINCIPLES OF ORGANISATION OF PSYCHIC ENERGY 2 Declaration Name: John Patrick Connolly Student number: 49093223 Degree: Phd Psychology - 98555 Thesis title: Principles of Organisation of Psychic Energy in Psychoanalysis: a Systems Theory Perspective I declare that this thesis: ‘Principles of Organisation of Psychic Energy in Psychoanalysis: a Systems Theory Perspective’ is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. ________________________ ____________________ SIGNATURE DATE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA © PRINCIPLES OF ORGANISATION OF PSYCHIC ENERGY 3 Dedication This thesis is dedicated first and foremost to my friend and long time mentor Doctor Pieter Grobbelaar, who not only provided the theoretical foundation of this work in his own Phd but whom also read every page of the draft I wrote for this thesis and gave his thoughts and ideas for its direction. It would like to thank my supervisor Professor Vasi van Deventer who always supported and encouraged my work, who saw value in it and took it on. This thesis would not exist without Professor van Deventer and I thank him. I would also like to thank my mother for her belief in me, and my father for his support, and my wife for looking after our life while I worked. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA © PRINCIPLES OF ORGANISATION OF PSYCHIC ENERGY 4 Table of contents CHAPTER 1: Introduction .......................................................................................... 12 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................ 12 1.2 Problem Statement ............................................................................................. 15 1.3 Justification for the study ................................................................................... 16 1.3.1 The importance of the theory of energic regulation within Psychoanalysis .......................................................................................................................................... 16 1.3.2 Compatibility with contemporary neuroscience ......................................... 18 1.3.3 Improving clinical application of energic concepts .................................... 19 1.4 Aim of the study................................................................................................. 20 1.5 The role of systems theory in a coherent formulation of the organisation of energic mechanisms ............................................................................................................. 21 1.6 Research Question ............................................................................................. 22 1.7 Method ............................................................................................................... 23 1.8 Findings: a systems theory reformulation of psychic energy within psychoanalysis ..................................................................................................................... 24 1.9 Outline of Remaining Chapters ......................................................................... 27 CHAPTER 2: The Development of the Concept of Psychic Energy within Psychoanalysis ......................................................................................................................... 30 2.1 Studies in Hysteria ............................................................................................. 31 2.1.1 Contribution ................................................................................................ 31 2.1.2 Critique ....................................................................................................... 37 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA © PRINCIPLES OF ORGANISATION OF PSYCHIC ENERGY 5 2.2 The Project for a Scientific Psychology............................................................. 39 2.2.1 Contribution ................................................................................................ 39 2.2.2 Critique ....................................................................................................... 47 2.2.2.1 Memory ................................................................................................ 49 2.2.2.2 Attention .............................................................................................. 51 2.3 ‘Chapter VII: The Interpretation of Dreams’ ..................................................... 61 2.3.1 Contribution ................................................................................................ 61 2.3.2 Critique ....................................................................................................... 66 2.4 ‘Beyond the Pleasure Principle’......................................................................... 72 2.4.1 Contribution ................................................................................................ 72 2.4.2 Critique ....................................................................................................... 80 2.5 Summary of Critical Remarks ........................................................................... 85 2.6 Further Developments in Psychoanalysis .......................................................... 88 2.6.1 Wilhelm Reich ............................................................................................ 88 2.6.2 Heinz Hartmann’s Neutralisation ............................................................... 89 2.7 The importance of the theory of energic regulation within Psychoanalysis ...... 91 CHAPTER 3: Critiques of Freud’s Energic Concepts ................................................. 94 3.1 Definition ........................................................................................................... 95 3.1.1 Interactionist ............................................................................................... 96 3.1.2 Subjective .................................................................................................... 96 3.1.3 Classificatory .............................................................................................. 99 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA © PRINCIPLES OF ORGANISATION OF PSYCHIC ENERGY 6 3.1.4 Abstract (theory or model) ........................................................................ 100 3.1.5 Neurophysiological ................................................................................... 103 3.1.5.1 Potential neurophysiological correlates of psychic energy ................ 104 3.1.5.2 Monism .............................................................................................. 106 3.1.5.2.1 Mind versus Brain ....................................................................... 106 3.1.5.2.2 Mechanism versus Vitalism ........................................................ 107 3.1.5.2.3 Physicalist Reductionism ............................................................ 109 3.1.5.2.4 Multi-level monism ..................................................................... 112 3.1.5.3 The requirements of positivist science ............................................... 116 3.1.5.3.1 Explanation versus description ................................................... 117 3.1.5.3.2 Behavioural (non-physicalist) reductions as explanation ........... 123 3.1.6 Abstract models and theories revisited ..................................................... 127 3.1.6.1 Energy within a hermeneutic field ..................................................... 128 3.1.6.2 Psychic energy as a metaphor ............................................................ 129 3.1.6.3 Formal models ................................................................................... 132 3.2 Usefulness ........................................................................................................ 140 3.2.1 Theoretical and research usefulness .......................................................... 140 3.2.2 Clinical utility ........................................................................................... 142 3.3 Accuracy of assumptions and propositions ...................................................... 145 3.3.1 Violations of the constancy and pleasure principles ................................. 145 3.3.2 The structural critique of the energy principles ........................................ 148 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA © PRINCIPLES OF ORGANISATION OF PSYCHIC ENERGY 7 3.4 Links to observations ....................................................................................... 153 3.4.1 Observations explained by the energic theory .......................................... 153 3.4.2 A behaviourally-defined statement of the energic hypotheses ................. 155 3.5 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 161 CHAPTER 4: Systems theory as a reformulation of psychic energy ........................ 163 4.1 The potential of systems theory to strengthen weaknesses in
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