''Self and Others'' is a psychological study by
R. D. Laing
Ronald David Laing (7 October 1927 – 23 August 1989), usually cited as R. D. Laing, was a Scottish psychiatrist who wrote extensively on mental illnessin particular, the experience of psychosis. Laing's views on the causes and treatment o ...
, first published in 1961. It was re-issued in a second edition (1969), which (in Laing's words) was “extensively revised, without being changed in any fundamental way”.
The book formed part of a series of writings by Laing in the 1960s on the relationship of madness to the self within a social context or
nexus
NEXUS is a joint Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection-operated Trusted Traveler and Border control#Expedited border controls, expedited border control program designed for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Members ...
, writings which created something of a cult of Laing at the time.
Structure
''Self and Others'' is divided into two parts, called respectively 'Modes of Interpersonal Experience' and 'Forms of Interpersonal Action'. In the first part, Laing sets out from a critique of the
Kleinian view of
unconscious phantasy, as set out by
Susan Sutherland Isaacs, for its lack of recognition of the interpersonal dialectics inherent in human experience. He also uses Kleinian thought to emphasize the omnipresence of social phantasy systems.
In the second part, Laing explored the extent to which an individual is or is not invested in their own actions, using ideas drawn from
Martin Buber
Martin Buber ( he, מרטין בובר; german: Martin Buber; yi, מארטין בובער; February 8, 1878 –
June 13, 1965) was an Austrian Jewish and Israeli philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of existentialism c ...
and
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and litera ...
. He also extended the American concept of the
double bind
A double bind is a dilemma in communication in which an individual (or group) receives two or more reciprocally conflicting messages. In some scenarios (e.g. within families or romantic relationships) this can be emotionally distressing, creating ...
to cover the experience of the schizoid patient.
In both sections, Laing uses material from
Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
to illustrate his theoretical points.
[R. D. Laing, ''Self and Others'' (1969) p. 61, p. 132 and p. 165]
See also
References
{{Reflist, 2}
Further reading
M. Howarth-Williams, ''R. D. Laing'' (1977)
External links
The Self and Others*
ttp://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16853 R. D. Laing, ''Self and others'', Literary Encyclopedia
Anti-psychiatry
History of psychiatry