Gertrudis Van de Vijver Knihy

The traditional dating of the origin of psychoanalysis to 1900, when Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams, ignores the massive body of work he produced well before this date. Covering fields as diverse as neurology, physiology, philosophy, and pharmacology, this wealth of unjustly neglected material was to have a profound influence upon the development of psychoanalytic theory and technique. This fascinating study of the hidden roots of psychoanalysis features contributions from an international panel of authorities on Freud's early writings, and highlights the unparalleled originality of his pre-analytic work. Seeking to restore the openness that originally existed between psychoanalysis and the other sciences, these papers consider Freud's outstanding scientific achievements within neurology and his achievements as a psychologist. Freud's early fascination with cocaine and his substantial monograph on the coca plant are reconsidered in the light of research that places the episode in its historical context. The influence of philosophical writings upon Freud's thought is demonstrated careful consideration of the origins of Freudian concepts in the works of Aristotle, Brentano and John Stuart Mill.

The constraint is the possibility—this concept underpinned a 2010 conference in Gent, Belgium, titled “Yes we Kant! Critical reflections on objectivity,” where many papers in this volume were first presented. The discussions focused on the nature and meaning of objectivity and the relevance of Immanuel Kant’s theory of constitution to these philosophical concerns. This exploration necessitates a careful interpretation of Kant’s works, emphasizing the need to grasp the spirit rather than the letter of a philosopher’s oeuvre. The volume investigates how the idea that constraint is possibility aligns with the essence of transcendental philosophy. In the Critique of Pure Reason, this notion is illustrated through the metaphor of a dove, lamenting that air resistance prevents it from soaring higher, yet overlooking that this very resistance enables its flight. Similarly, the limitations and constraints on knowledge may actually be the conditions that allow for objectivity, rather than reasons for its impossibility. This exploration invites a re-evaluation of the relationship between constraints and the potential for objective understanding, suggesting that embracing limitations can lead to deeper insights into the nature of knowledge itself.