Master of Arts in Psychoanalysis

This module introduces fundamental concepts and figures in the psychoanalytic tradition. It sets off from the understanding of the mind’s division into consciousness and the unconscious. From there, it advances into concepts such as dreams and their interpretation according to different schools of psychoanalysis, the unconscious and its structure, the pleasure principle, the death drive, the role of symbols. The module also discusses different approaches to understanding the historical development of psychoanalysis. This takes into account the historical circumstances at the time of (and prior to) its inception, the clinical circumstances at the time (and before) and the unfolding of the field’s central concepts. It highlights the tensions, differences and similarities between some of the main schools of the early psychoanalytic tradition focusing mainly on Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. In this context, it briefly traces the core concepts of Jungian and Freudian psychoanalysis and their continuing development in contemporary scholarship.

In the twenty-first century, the body is the arena for political contestation and political claims: who receives care and who is exposed to risk, who is excluded and who has rights, who is granted the privilege of life and who is left to die, perhaps un-mourned. Returning to Freud’s early thoughts on “conversion” shows a landscape where the question of the body is always tied to a demand for radical structural change, indicating so much more than simply personal pathos. The body was at the cross-roads of the individual and the social-historical, seen as a “somatic preserve” with a potential for revolt that fascinated, mystified, and at times, frightened Freud. “Conversion” was part of the very creation of the unconscious and was also the source of working through in psychoanalysis. When thinking of the classical image of hysterical symptoms many bear in mind the Freudian idea of translating these symptoms into language as a texture of memory, conflict, and wish. But what if the process wasn’t so uni-directional? What could an embodied psychoanalysis look like? What problems does this pose for the listening analyst? From Freud’s early definition of conversion, to his notion of the drive on the frontier of the somato-psychic, to Lacan’s distrust of knowledge exemplified in the symptom’s symbolic over-interpretation, and his focus on what he names jouissance, set-up in relation to anxiety, we will re-consider the centrality of the body in psychoanalytic process.

This module applies psychoanalytic theories to the analysis of film and literature. Special focus is put on the analysis of the expression of desire in contemporary, postmodern media. This critique takes into account the effects of capitalism on the subject from a psychoanalytic standpoint, especially on its desire and the expression thereof. It approaches this topic via different examples from contemporary film and literature challenging students to apply techniques of psychoanalytic theory to these examples in order to create models of understanding the underlying contemporary circumstances and their effects on the subjects. The module focuses on in-depth readings and interpretations of G.W.F. Hegel, Jacques Lacan, Sigmund Freud and Todd McGowan. Introducing the student to psychoanalysis as a mode of social critique via the medium of film and literature, the module functions as a practical application of psychoanalytic theory. It combines this theory with readings of Hegel and other philosophers to create a firm foundation for a critical view on contemporary media.

Based on Lacan’s Seminar VI, this module investigates the theoretical cornerstones of the Lacanian interpretation of Freud’s concept of desire. It dissects its applications in therapeutic and theoretical practice of psychoanalysis. The module closely reads selected segments of Lacan’s writings and combines them with clinical material. Students study and learn with experienced clinicians and work on real-life examples to apply their knowledge of Lacan psychoanalytic theory. The module focuses on the notion of desire which takes a central place in the social and clinical applications of Lacanian theory. Desire is taken as one of the central pillars of the subject’s unconscious constitution. Students are prompted to understand desire in its complex interplay with other elements of the psychoanalytic landscape such as, but not limited to, the (death) drive, jouissance and the unconscious. After completing this module, students will achieve an in-depth fluency of some of Lacan’s core concepts and be enabled to apply Lacanian psychoanalysis to cases of clinical practice and social critique.

The module will link religion, religious phenomena, contemporary critiques of religion and some of the basic tenets of psychoanalysis. These include concepts like the (collective) unconscious, drive, repetition, and others. The module will move through the landscape of religion from folk religions and ritual practices to Christianity, Buddhisim and Daoism. It will prompt students to critically reflect on the implications of such practices on psychoanalytic practice and the possibilities they offer in clinical and theoretical analytic thought. Structures in symbolism and ritual structure will be analysed to understand the mind’s interaction with the mystical and unknown (i.e. unconscious). Additionally, the module will introduce students to the key concepts and ideas that have given rise to Radical Theology, offering a historical and contextual overview of the various streams in radical theological thought. The module will also address the potentials and possibilities of Radical Theology and its implications for psychoanalytic theory.

The module follows two lines of inquiry: First, the development of psychoanalytic thought in the East. Second, the parallels and / or possible theoretical influence of Eastern thought (especially Daoism) on the development of psychoanalytic theories in the West. With regard to the former, focus will be put on the practice of psychoanalysis in China. With regard to the latter, the module will focus on the writings of Daoism - especially the Yi Jing and Dao de Jing - and their influence on Jungian psychoanalysis, most importantly, the notions of synchronicity and the collective unconscious. The module will also examine Winnicottian psychoanalytic theory and practice to understand its relation to Eastern philosophies. More than a comparative study, the aim of these analyses is to understand how the notions of Daoism are reflected in contemporary psychoanalytic practice. From this understanding, a sensibility can be developed that affords critical questioning of contemporary theories and practices on the background of these parallels.

This module introduces the fundamental terminology, theory and philosophy of Jungian analytical psychology. Its focus is on theory and not on practice. Within Jung’s body of work, the module focuses on the general outlines of his system, especially his philosophical writings. The module sketches the general outlines of the Jungian understanding of the mind and its position in the world. It pays special attention to the development of the notion of synchronicity in late Jungian thought. In doing so, it aims to dissect the metaphysical implications of the Jungian propositions highlighting how Jung departs from the Freudian and Lacanian traditions. Special focus is put on the development of concepts such as the collective unconscious, the role of symbols, the structure of the ego, individuation and the notion of synchronicity. Here, it challenges classical Freudian assumptions of the mind’s separation and the ego’s control of the subject and inquires into Jung’s understanding of the collective unconscious and its effects on the subject.

The overall purpose of Topics in Psychoanalysis is to allow Cohort Members to delve into subjects of interest that complement the core ten-module curriculum. Invariably, the speaker profile involved in the delivery of Topics content is expert practitioners who share tailored insights and practical guidance. The exact content of the Topics module changes every year in response to contemporary political issues, student needs and interests, and faculty expertise.

The first iteration of this module will address Psychoanalysis, Fascism, and Romanticism: The module applies psychoanalytic thinking to the critical analysis of texts from the Weimar republic and Nazi Germany. It closely examines the imagery, language and symbolism employed by the generals and soldiers in the German army of the time focusing especially on the Freikorps. The discussion focuses on men’s fantasies and the produced imagery of women. This leads to the highlighting of collective tendencies of repression and desire that help understand the fascist movement in Germany of the time. The discussion will take into account the circumstances of the time from a psychoanalytic as well as historical perspective. This analysis is combined with the examination of romantic literature and its psychoanalytic implications. Close attention is paid to the desire for a world that is not this world, opening the possibility for the sentiment of nihilism, (historical) relativism and ultimately the fascist gestures of the 20th century. Finally, these two analyses will be put in dialogue to critically analyse contemporary circumstances. Both romanticism and fascism will be understood as phenomena of their time on the one hand and timeless sentiments of the mind on the other.

The overall purpose of Figures in Psychoanalysis is to allow Cohort Members to delve into subjects of interest that complement the core ten-module curriculum. Invariably, the speaker profile involved in the delivery of Figures content is expert practitioners who share tailored insights and practical guidance. The exact content of the Figures module changes every year in response to contemporary political issues, student needs and interests, and faculty expertise.

The first iteration of this module will address Deleuze, Lacan, Freud: A Bracha Ettinger Seminar: The module introduces the psychoanalytic theory and practice of Bracha Ettinger vis a vis her predecessors, Freud, Lacan and Deleuze. It is centred around close readings and interpretations of selected passages in Freud, Lacan, Deleuze, and Ettinger's early and late essays. From this perspective, it examines some of the core psychoanalytic concepts in the Freudian tradition such as the drive, repetition and the unconscious. Additionally, it reflects on the role of language, sexuality and repression in the psychoanalytic landscape. The module finally develops perspectives of the contemporary practice and theory of psychoanalysis in the wake of the postmodern political and economic landscapes. Here, Ettinger’s unique perspective on psychoanalysis is offered to respond to the subject’s problems and desires in the 21st century. Students are prompted to critically evaluate these approaches on the backdrop of the presented theory and comment on the role of psychoanalysis in contemporary developments of politics, economics and media.

This module is designed for students to conduct independent research in the field of psychoanalysis. Students will be guided by the faculty to work on a topic of their choice and meet in small groups with selected members of the faculty to discuss their topics of choice. These research groups will be clustered by topics (e.g. all students researching Lacanian Psychoanalysis). Students have to present their research outcomes to the group and defend this research against questions from their peers and faculty. This simulates the defence of their dissertation. Topics must be in the field of psychoanalysis but are encouraged to apply theories of psychoanalysis to other contexts. Examples of such research are classical Greek metaphysics, specific streams of literature such as the romantic writers, specific streams of mysticism such as Tibetan mysticism, etcetera. Students have to propose their own readings which must be approved by a member of the faculty.

This course provides an introduction to topics related to the clinical practice of Lacanian psychoanalysis. Students will explore case descriptions and the theoretical underpinnings of practicing psychoanalysis as a technique. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship between practical application and the theoretical principles of Lacanian psychoanalysis while assessing their relationship with other techniques. Drawing from Freudian roots upon which Lacanian psychoanalysis is built, it also incorporates contemporary interpretations of psychoanalytic practice, with a particular focus on the work of prominent contemporary Lacanian analyst Bruce Fink.

The course discusses advanced themes in psychoanalysis by contrasting thinkers, and figures that have succeeded the Lacanian and Freudian lineage of psychoanalytic thinking. The aim of the course yes, to clearly explicate answers in certain positions, how are you differences while at the same time maintaining a productive discourse between them that new ideas and thinking to emerge. Special focus is granted to intersectional topics within the study of psychoanalysis such as Art, culture, psychoanalytic practice and others.

The Psychoanalysis Dissertation contains both a research planning phase, ‘The Research Plan’, and a research execution phase ‘The Dissertation’.

The Research Plan

The Research Plan for the Psychoanalysis Dissertation prepares students to embark upon a substantial, sustained, unified piece of research at the MQF 7 level. The module is taught by the proposed dissertation supervisor as a form of preparation specific to the dissertation and the requirements of its subject matter.

This module is not a general introduction to research or research methodologies, but a practical preparation for students embarking upon the dissertation for the MA in Psychoanalysis. Although these skills are highly transferable to other research domains, it remains the case that the purpose of the module is scoped to the needs of the specific dissertation for which it prepares the student.

This module marks the end of the taught portion of the degree and the transition to the research portion. It is expected that the topic of research, which is refined during the planning phase, will have arisen out of one of the taught modules’ assignments, projects, or essays.

The planning phase provides a highly structured plan for embarking upon independent research in the subsequent dissertation and more broadly at the MQF 7 level.

In order to provide context for the submission of the ‘Research Plan’ (which is the purpose of this phase of the module), the student will gain a proficient knowledge of relevant research methods and planning. Thus in connection with the core learning outcomes resulting from the research plan, the student will additionally gain a proficient understanding of the wider context of research methods and evaluate the fittingness of the chosen method.

In this plan a student must:

• Propose their dissertation topic

• Identify a provisional title

• Evaluate research methods and select a strategy

• Write an abstract of the proposed research

• Compose a provisional table of contents for the dissertation

• Write a literary survey covering the primary and secondary sources

• Schedule a timeline to completion

• Compose an annotated bibliography

The dissertation supervisor finally prepares the student for an external examination of the proposed dissertation.

At the end of the Research Plan is submitted a portfolio containing six elements:

• Provisional dissertation title

• Abstract

• Expanded table of contents

• Literature survey

• Timeline to completion

• Annotated bibliography

The Research Plan provides students with a clear framework to guide their research question, a structure into which they can fit their scholarly research, and a pathway to the completion of the dissertation. During the module, students meet with their supervisor at regular intervals determined in advance by both parties.

The student’s attention is directed to literature on the topic of the proposed dissertation, and thus methodological research guidance, beyond the oral instruction of the student’s supervisor, will be provided within the domain of study specific to the student’s dissertation. This will vary considerably, depending upon the topic of the dissertation, and it forms a natural component of the literature survey. (Thus it is neither appropriate nor possible to list here the bibliographic references that will be needed by the student. We have, however, provided valuable works of general research guidance and reference, and works to aid the student in evaluating the best research method for the dissertation.)

Dissertation Writing

Upon completion and approval of the ‘Research Plan’, students will have a well-defined research topic, a clear structure to organise their proposed research, a firm grasp of the relevant literature, and a practical timeline in which to conduct their research.

The dissertation will constitute a substantial, original, independent piece of research (approximately 12,000 words, with 10% leeway) which is clearly articulated in relation to the primary evidence and secondary literature, and which is organised in relation to the plan first envisaged as part of the ‘Research Plan’.

Regular supervision meetings keep the student on-course with the timeline agreed in the Timeline to completion. Supervisory meetings concentrate on a pre-submitted piece of research in a pattern that continues until the first draft of the dissertation is complete.

Although students may request twice-weekly meetings during the first 2 weeks of the dissertation, it is expected (and students typically prefer) not to meet more than twice per month thereafter. This allows the student time to develop their independent research and writing.

After the completion of the first draft, meetings focus on the harmonisation of the parts, adjustments to the overall argument, and the supervisor seeks to ensure that the student guides the dissertation with a single, coherent line of enquiry.

The final meetings with the student focus on polishing the editorial aspects of the dissertation, and helping the student prepare for examination.