Critique of a Postmodern Philosophy

Essay by siakajoeUniversity, Master'sA-, December 2009

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AbstractIn this paper I am going to explore how useful psychoanalysis when viewed from the feminist theory. As women experience the social world differently, there exists different feminist point of view within the feminist tradition. This is what brings us to look at Freud's (1977) work, the founder of 'psychoanalysis' and to look at the criticisms that have been made of his work, and I also intend to identify the main strengths of psychoanalysis when viewed from the feminist perspective. It should be known that this a complex question, so therefore, by providing specific evidence, also could be seen as debatable to others depending on individual beliefs.

In broad terms the influence of psychoanalysis has produced two major differing issues. The first of these is the 'Freudian' feminist' who are inclined to stress the prior (pre-linguistic) importance of the mother (Beasley, 1999). The second grouping draws upon the work of Jacque Lacan, an interpreter of Freud's analytic method which provides a linguistic view of Freud.

The influence of Lacan in the perspectives of feminists marks a move away from the real world towards comparatively abstract philosophy analysis of culture and specifically towards the symbolic-cultural meaning encoded in language (Beasley, 1999).

Whether we believe in his theory or not, most people agree that Freud is one the greatest thinkers of modern time. His discovery of psychoanalysis has made mental illness immense. Although hen completed most of his work in the early years of last century, he his still hugely influential. Despite this success, or perhaps due to it, Freud's ideas have always been controversial. His scientific discussion on psychology growth resulted in the theory of psychosexual development (Freud, 1997). His ideas created a great deal of argument at the initial time of release, and frequently are considered so, to...