The Collected Clinical Works of Alfred Adler, Volume 3 - Journal Articles 1910-1913

242 Pages·2002·1.08 MB·English

by  Adler

The Collected Clinical Works of Alfred Adler Volume 3
Journal Articles: 1910-1913
Elaborating on the Basic Principles of Individual
Psychology
Alfred Adler
New Translations by Gerald L. Liebenau Edited by Henry T.
Stein, Ph.D.
Classical Adlerian Translation Project
© 2003 by Henry T. Stein, Ph.D.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright
Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
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from the editor. All inquiries should be sent to Henry T. Stein, Ph.D., Classical
Adlerian Translation Project, 2565 Mayflower Ln, Bellingham, WA 98226. Tel
[phone] or e-mail to [email protected] . Web Site: www.Adlerian.us .
Published 2003 by The Classical Adlerian Translation Project.
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 0-9715645-3-1
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Editor’s Preface 2003..............................................................................................
ii Chapter I:
Chapter II: Chapter III: Chapter IV: Chapter V:
Chapter VI: Chapter VII:
Chapter VIII: Chapter IX: Chapter X: Chapter XI: Chapter XII:
Chapter XIII: Chapter XIV: Chapter XV: Chapter XVI:
Chapter XIX:
Chapter XX: Chapter XXI: Psychological Hermaphroditism in Life and
the Neurosis [1910] ......................................................................1 Defiance and
Obedience [1910] ...................................................9 The Psychic Treatment of
Trigeminal Neuralgia [1910] ...........17 A Fabricated Dream [1910]
........................................................35 Adler’s Review of “On Conflicts in the
Child’s Psyche,” by C.G. Jung [1910]
...................................................................40 The Role of Sexuality in Neurosis
[1911] ..................................42 “Repression” and “Masculine Protest:” Their
Roles and Meaning for the Neurotic Dynamic [1911] ................................49 On
Understanding Resistance During Treatment [1911] ...........58 Syphilophobia
[1911] .................................................................66 A Declaration (Adler Breaks
with Freud) [1911] .......................74 Organ Dialect [1912]
..................................................................75 Psychological Hermaphroditism and
the Masculine Protest – A Cardinal Problem of Nervous Diseases [1912]
......................83 On the Theory of Hallucination [1912]
......................................89 On Educating Parents [1912]
......................................................95 The Organic Substrata of Psychoneuroses
[1912] ....................106 Individual Psychological Treatment of Neuroses [1913]
........115
Chapter XVII: On the Function of Compulsion Conception as a Way of
Intensifying the Sense of Personality [1913] ............................130
Chapter XVIII: Additional Guiding Principles for the Practice of
Individual Psychology [1913] ..................................................134 Individual
Psychological Findings From Research in Sleep Disturbance [1913]
.........................................................141 The Neurotic Character [1913]
.................................................149 Individual Psychological Remarks on Alfred
Berger’s Hofrat Eysenhardt [1913] .........................................................157
Chapter XXII: On the Role of the Unconscious in Neurosis [1913] ................170
Chapter XXIII: Response (to A. Maeder) [1913]
..............................................177
Chapter XXIV: Dreams and Dream Interpretation [1913]
.................................183
Index .........................................................................................193
Appendix: “Basic Principles of
Classical Adlerian Psychology” ...............................................216
i
Editor’s Preface
Editor’s Preface - 2003
The twenty-four articles contained in this volume cover a wide range of
topics. It would first appear that there is an absence of thematic consistency or
any pattern of development in the subjects that Adler addresses--he seizes upon
any issue that he feels to be important at the time. Yet there is no chaos in this
seeming whirlwind of mental activity. Each article reflects several theoretical
constructs of the bountiful palette of Individual Psychology. As a totality,
everything he writes about fits into one coherent, consistent whole. In a broad
sense, although he often seems to repeat ideas, if we study his sentences
carefully, we will always find yet another important, new nuance of meaning.
Adler’s article about Alfred Berger’s Hofrat Eysenhardt is especially
fascinating, since it deals with an author’s creation of a fictional character. When
I first discovered Adler’s writings, as a graduate student majoring in theatre arts,
I was astounded with the abundant parallels between Adler’s view of personality
structure and the dramatic theory of Constantine Stanislavksi, the great Russian
theater director. Stanslavski suggested that the actor and director analyze
fictional character using tools and terms remarkably similar to Adler’s constructs
for understanding real people. For example, Stanislavski’s construct of the
“superobjective” is nearly identical to Adler’s construct of the “fictional final
goal.” It is not surprising that two highly creative minds from different fields,
contemplating the dynamics of human behavior, would arrive at similar
teleological conclusions. Adler often commented that understanding human
nature was more of an art than a science.
For readers unfamiliar with Adler’s ideas, a brief overview, titled “Basic
Principles of Classical Adlerian Psychology,” is included in the appendix. More
comprehensive articles, titled “Classical Adlerian Theory and Practice” and “A
Psychology of Democracy” have been published in Volumes 1 & 2 of The
Collected Clinical Works of Alfred Adler.
I encourage the reader to patiently follow Adler’s early efforts to articulate
his full theory. It is a fascinating journey of positing , correcting, and refining his
insights into the mystery of human nature.
ii
Chapter I
Psychological Hermaphroditism in Life and in the Neurosis1 2
(On the Dynamic and Therapy of Neurosis)
[1910]
I. Facts concerning psychological hermaphroditism
From among the authorities who investigated the problem of
hermaphroditism in humans, almost everyone who dealt with this subject
touched on or emphasized the fact that among the derivative sexual
characteristics often, or even regularly, were found character traits and
psychological attributes of the other sex. These authorities include Krafft-
Ebbing, Dessoir, Halban, Fliess, Weininger, Freud, and Hirschfeld. Among
these, Freud in particular studied hermaphroditism in neurosis. He established
that in no cases of neurosis were hermaphodite traits absent. Since then, I have
been able to affirm this observation. It has proven to be the frequent sign of
irreconcilability with sexuality. In a short paper3 I pointed out the relationship
between prostitutes and homosexuality, and Fliess, even before that, expressed
the opinion that the male neurotic became afflicted from the suppression of his
female traits, and the female from the repression of her male traits.
A thorough examination of neurotics with regard to their hermaphroditic
traits had the following results:
1. Physical characteristics of the opposite sex are noticeably frequently found.
Thus, female dispositions were seen in male neurotics and those of males in
females.4 Also, opposite secondary sexual characteristics, in particular inferior
genital organs, such as hypostasis, paraurethral, small penises, small testis,
cryptorchidism, etc. On the other hand there are among other characteristics
enlarged labia minora, large clitoris, and infantile sexual organs5 which usually
are accompanied by indications of inferiority in other organs.
No evidence can probably be found that these physical manifestations originally
were connected with an opposite sexual psyche in the carrier, as Fliess assumes
and as Krafft-Ebbing explained, whereby the female psyche is more strongly
developed in the male, and the male psyche is stronger in the female. However,
it can be shown that the motility and physical development of children with
inferior organs and glands is not within the norm, and that their growth and
functional capabilities show deficiencies. Furthermore, illnesses and weaknesses
appear at the beginning of their development, but often later give way to robust
health and strength.
These objective manifestations frequently give rise to a subjective feeling of
inferiority, thereby impeding the child's independence, increasing his need for
support and affection, and will often characterize his personality into his later
years. Weakness, ungainliness, awkward behavior, sickliness, childhood
disorders such as enuresis, incontinence, flatulence, stuttering, shortness of
breath, altitude sickness, eye or hearing deficiencies, inborn or early acquired
deformations, striking ugliness, etc. can cause a permanent feeling of inferiority
when facing a stronger person, in particular the father, and extending even
beyond the father's life span. Significant traits of obedience, subjugation, and
unbridled devotion, especially toward the father, apply to many children,
particularly those who have a tendency toward neurosis. This often places such
children in roles that seem unmanly to them. All neurotics have endured a
childhood in which they were filled with doubt regarding their manliness. To the
child, the renunciation of manliness seems synonymous with femininity6 thus
creating a wide range of original childish value judgments, according to which
every form of unbridled aggression, activity, ability, power, courage, freedom,
wealth, assault, and sadism is seen as manly; all inhibitions and shortcomings
(also cowardice, obedience, poverty, etc.) can be regarded as feminine.7
One can now easily see that the child for a time plays a dual role. On the one
hand he (or she) shows tendencies of being submissive to parents, teacher, and
caregiver, and on the other hand there are desires, fantasies, and actions that
express the child’s striving for independence, free will, and esteem ("the little
bigman"). Since the former more often are displayed by girls and women and the
latter more by boys and men 8 it should not be surprising that the child's view of
the world often turns into value judgments that are not unlike those of adults.
Thus, they view inhibiting aggression as feminine, and regard heightened
aggression as masculine.
This internal schism in the child, a pattern and central for the most important
psychological phenomena, i.e. that of the neurosis, the erroneously called split
consciousness that actually is the starting point for doubt, can take many paths
later in life. As a rule, one will find that the attitude of the individual will at
times tend more toward the "feminine" and at times more toward the
"masculine" side, perhaps always alongside efforts and striving toward
reinforcing an image that arises from within; the male characteristics hinder a
complete unfolding into a feminine role; the female characteristics prove to be
an impediment to behaving fully as a male. This mostly leads to a compromise: a
female demeanor using masculine means (for example, a manly shyness and
submissiveness and a manly masochism, homosexuality, etc.); a male role using
female means (female emancipation tendencies, polyandry, obsessive-
compulsive neurosis as a female condition, etc.). Else, one finds side by side
what seem like uncontrolled "male and female" character traits.
In neurosis, where there is a constant incongruity of such often excessively
reinforced character traits, examining and diminishing these tendencies, as well
as uncovering psychological hermaphroditism, is made possible by Individual
Psyhcology. However, as a precondition, the physician cannot bring his own
value judgment about male and female traits into the analysis. He must track
down the patient's feelings so as to be able to empathize with him.
1 Originally published as "Der psychische Hermaphroditismus im Leben
und in der Neurose" in Fortschr. Med., Vol. 28, pages 486-493, 1910.
Republished in Heilen und Bilden, pages 74-83, 1914.
2 New translation by Gerald L. Liebenau, 2002.
3 Adler, "Träume einer Prostituierten" (Dreams of a Prostitute), Zeitschrift für
Sexualwissenschaft, 1908.
4 Later taken by Kretschmer as a sign of a "schizoid" form, which is quite
similar to what I described as a "nervous character."
5 See Adler, Studie über Minderwertigkeit von Organen, Urban &
Schwarzenberg, Berlin and Vienna, 1907.
6 By the way, this applies not only to the child, but to the greater part of our
cultural awareness.
7 See "Der Aggressionstrieb im Leben und in der Neurose" (The Aggression
Drive in Life and in the Neurosis)
8 To the child being "bad" often means manly.
II. On the Intensification of Psychological Hermaphroditism. The Masculine
Protest as Final Goal9
As a starting point for the female tendencies of the neurotic, we
counterpoised, above, the feeling of weakness on the part of children when
confronting adults, which creates a dependency, a desire for affection, a
psychological and inner lack of independence and a feeling of subordination. We
also pointed out above how these traits, when there is an early discovered and
subjectively felt organ inferiority (motor weaknesses, ungainliness, sickliness,
childhood impediments, slow development, etc.), are expressed with greater
intensity, and how this then leads to an increased dependency. We also showed
how this intensified feeling of being little and weak (the root of micromania)
leads to aggression inhibition and thereby to manifestations of anxiety. From that
standpoint it then becomes easy to show how uncertainty about one's own
abilities creates doubts causing a vacillation that is influenced at times more by
"female" tendencies (fear and related signs), and at other times by those of the
"male" (aggression, compulsive-obsessiveness). The structure of neurosis
(neurasthenia, hysteria, phobia, obsessive-compulsive neurosis, paranoia, etc.)
shows us, and is manifested best of all by obsessive-compulsive neurosis, the
variedly intertwined "female" lines, carefully covered up and built upon by
hypertrophic "male" desires and striving.
This masculine protest develops compulsively as overcompensation
because the "female" tendency, seen from the perspective of a child's value
system, is regarded contemptuously as a childhood disorder and is held on to
only in a subliminal form and only because it offers outward advantages (love of
family, affords freedom from punishment, gains praise for obedience and
subjugation, etc.). All forms of internal compulsion in the normal person as well
as in neurotics can be derived from this attempt at a masculine protest. Where it
succeeds in gaining ascendancy, it obviously increases masculine tendencies
enormously, ascribes to them the highest, often unattainable goals, develops a
greed for gratification and triumph, spurs on all capabilities and egotistical
drives, increases envy, ambition, avariciousness, and creates an inner unrest that
makes unbearable any external pressure, dissatisfaction, and humiliation.
Defiance, revenge, resentfulness are its constant companion and through
extensively increased sensitivity, it causes continuous conflicts. Normal as well
as pathological megalomania and daydreams are created by such an overly
powerful masculine protest, and are felt as temporary surrogates for drive
gratification. However, even this dream stage falls under the dominance of the
masculine protest. Every analysis of a dream shows us the tendency to retreat
from feminine and to advance toward masculine tendencies.
9 See Schiller, Männerwürde: "I am a man," etc.
If the patient sees himself cut off from all personal success, if he fails in
gratifying his oft too far reaching masculine protest10 in one major direction,
which also constitutes the sex drive, the result is the outbreak of a neurosis
which has been in preparation for some time. He then tries gratification of his
masculine ambition along secondary paths, by shifting it to another person or to
other goals. Or, inhibiting and blocking out become more intensive and the
transformation of the aggression drive occurs as I described it in
"Aggressionstrieb im Leben und in der Neurose." In terms of the structure of the
neurosis, all these variations take on great importance. In the patient's mind the
female, masochistic tendency suggests and creates the female, masochistic
picture of the neurosis. At the same time, the patient, feeling extremely sensitive
to sinking into "femininity," is being equipped to ward off denigration,
subjugation, derogation, and mudslinging. The weakness, the feeling of
inferiority, the female line, is covered up or masked with compromises, or made
unrecognizable by sublimation and symbolizing. However, these characteristics
gain in breadth and intensity, either permanently or temporarily, and appear in
abulia, in disgruntlement, in depression, in fear, pain, in fearful expectations, in
doubt, in paralysis, impotence, insufficiency, etc.