The Ethic of Honesty: The Fundamental Rule of Psychoanalysis

M. Guy Thompson

Jan 2004 · Contemporary Psychoanalytic Studies Book 2 · Rodopi

About this ebook

Rarely do we come across a book that has the force and cogency to provoke us to reevaluate the most fundamental tenets of psychoanalysis. One of the most brilliant psychoanalytic scholars of our time, M. Guy Thompson revolutionizes our understanding of the axiomatic principles upon which psychoanalysis is based. Through a careful exegesis of Freud's texts, he persuasively shows how the fundamental rule of psychoanalysis is not merely a vehicle for free association but, more importantly, a pledge to honesty. Contextualized in the subjective lived experience each analyst faces, Thompson demonstrates how Freud's technical mandates are nothing less than ethical imperatives by which to live, authentically. This fascinating exploration into the philosophical dimensions of psychoanalysis offers a compelling contribution to the clinical application of psychoanalytic doctrine that will be of interest to psychoanalytic practitioners of all persuasions. (Jon Mills)

About the author

M. Guy Thompson, Ph.D., is Founder of Free Association, Inc., in San Francisco, Training and Supervising Analyst, Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California, and former President of the International Federation for Psychoanalytic Education and the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology. He is the author of The Death of Desire: A Study in Psychopathology, The Truth About Freud's Technique: The Encounter with the Real, and numerous journal articles and book reviews on phenomenology, psychoanalysis, and schizophrenia. He practices psychoanalysis in San Francisco.