DID MARX AND FREUD LEAD TO DEAD ENDS? I have seen it remarked that in the 1950’s intellectuals—and especially New York intellectuals—felt that what distinguished them from others was that they knew the ins and outs of Freud and Marx. Fifty years later, there are many who believe that Freud and Marx have been proved wrong. At least their systems are often rejected. For example, Carol Tavris in her review of PERSONALITY says, “Freud’s view of personality was passionate, controversial, sexy, unfalsifiable and wrong.†If the systems of Freud and Marx are in the end rejected, so much of that learning of the fifties was meaningless, an enormous waste of time.
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I cannot agree with that final sentence, Phil. Was my time spent in the Catholic Church, the first 17 years of my life, meaningless and an enormous waste of time? Just think of the material, the guilt, the ability to rationalize, the inner resolve that was built into me. How can that be wasted? Although I will not argue “that which does not kill me makes me stronger, ” because I believe something can cripple you but not kill you, I will argue that going deeply into anything can, perhaps, enrich you in some way and bring you somewhere you otherwise might not have gone. Also, I believe that even though a crisis of faith is murder to go through, perhaps being raised as a child with certainties leaves you feeling more safe in the world, on an unconscious level, anyway. You’re not completely rejecting the unconscious, are you, Freud’s great achievement–(also the insight of many literary giants before him. In fact, their stock in trade.)
Guilt? I thought that was a Missouri Lutheran monopoly. Chris claims it still dominates my life!
A friend of mine (who is Jewish) once said, while he was talking about Jewish guilt, “I love Eugene O’Neill! All that good Irish Catholic guilt!”