Freud, Psychoanalysis, and Symbolism

The book is divided into two major parts comprising eleven chapters. Part One, “Exegesis and Extraction,” begins by surveying the definitional disorder surrounding symbolism and distinguishing conventional from non-conventional symbols. It then outlines the “Freudian Narrow” theory and traces Freud’s treatment of symbolism chronologically through his early writings, the period from 1900 to 1913, the central years from 1914 to 1917, and his later works. This analysis demonstrates that Freud’s writings contain the foundations of a broader theory that differs from his explicitly formulated narrow position. Part Two, “Consolidation and Defence,” examines conceptual problems concerning the system unconscious, repression, language, and Ernest Jones’s contribution to psychoanalytic symbolism. It then formulates the “Freudian Broad” theory and evaluates it against the logical constraints and psychological requirements that any general theory of symbolism must satisfy. The concluding discussion defends the possibility of a coherent, unified, and scientifically grounded psychological theory of symbolic activity.