Progressive Psychoanalysis as a Social Justice Movement

Book excerpt: This edited volume challenges our negative and incorrect definitions of psychoanalysis by focusing on the notion that psychoanalysis once was, and can once again be, a movement for social justice. Taking the work of Erich Fromm as a guide, the chapters in this volume highlight psychoanalysis’ social justice origins, while illustrating how psychoanalysis – in both an interpretive role and as a clinical tool – can improve our understanding of contemporary social problems and address the effects of those problems within the clinical setting.