Process Theory and Personal Theory

Abstract

The work of Marjorie Brierley has introduced specifically into psychoanalysis the question of whether its theory should be cast into the form of an impersonal theory of mental functioning or a personal theory of the active, purposive whole self in its living human relationships. Sigmund Freud approached the 'human being in his personal life' with the training and mentality of the natural scientist. The question 'Process theory or Personal theory' involves some deeper problems that belong in the end to philosophy, the philosophy of science. Freud states that psycho-analysis takes for granted that unpleasant tension 'automatically' sets going mental events which then aim at decrease of unpleasant tension. Hartmann, Kris and Loewenstein distinguish between impersonal metapsychology and 'metaphorical language', which really amounts to what Brierley calls 'personology', in relation to Freud's structural concepts.