Perversion (Ideas in Psychoanalysis) Book

While Sigmund Freud clearly intended the psychoanalytic concept of 'perversion' to be free from the moral judgement the word carries in colloquial use, the relationship of perversion to hostility and sexuality makes it a troubling concept. Is perversion an emotion? Is it a form of thinking or belief? Is perversion a sexual act? Sometimes described as an acting out of unconscious fantasy, perversion combines feelings of revenge, triumph and control as a defence against experiencing trauma and helplessness. The concept of perversion is used widely within psychoanalysis to understand the unconscious dynamics of addiction, sexual abuse, delinquency, murder, sexual assault and even burglary. The concepts of narcissism, fetishism, voyeurism and sado-masochism are also useful as tools to analyse our culture, particularly in relation to film.Read More