Jacob A. Arlow (1912–2004) was an American teacher, scholar, and clinician who served as president of the
American Psychoanalytic Association
The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) is an association of psychoanalysts in the United States. APsaA serves as a scientific and professional organization with a focus on education, research, and membership development.
APsaA comprises ...
and the
New York Psychoanalytic Institute.
Arlow was an editor of the ''
Psychoanalytic Quarterly
''The Psychoanalytic Quarterly'' is a quarterly academic journal of psychoanalysis established in 1932 and, since 2018, published by Taylor and Francis. The journal describes itself as "the oldest free-standing psychoanalytic journal in America". T ...
'' from 1972 to 1979; and published several articles on
psychoanalysis
PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might b ...
, as well as writing a history of psychoanalytic history, and co-authoring with
Charles Brenner the influential text ''Psychoanalytic Concepts and the Structural Theory''.
Fantasy and myth
In perhaps his most significant theoretical contribution to psychoanalysis, Arlow explored the role of unconscious fantasy from the point of view of
ego psychology
Ego psychology is a school of psychoanalysis rooted in Sigmund Freud's structural id-ego-superego model of the mind.
An individual interacts with the external world as well as responds to internal forces. Many psychoanalysts use a theoretical c ...
, both subsuming its use in
Kleinian theory, and providing the building block for Brenner's later development of
conflict theory
Conflict may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton
* ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne
* ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...
.
His earlier article on 'Fantasy Systems in Twins' (1960) was used by
Maynard Solomon to illuminate the inner development of
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
, Arlow observing that the “bond of complete understanding which is missing with the parent unites the twins in the wish fantasy....The existence of another individual who is a reflection of the self brings the experience of twinship in line with the psychology of the double”.
He also explored the role of
myth in bridging the gap between individual instinctual conflicts and cultural ideals.
Psychoanalyitc limitations
Arlow insisted on the limitations of psychoanalysis, inherent both in its technique and in the human experience itself, and warned against any quest for perfection through psychoanalysis.
Criticism
Heinz Kohut
Heinz Kohut (3 May 1913 – 8 October 1981) was an Austrian-born American psychoanalyst best known for his development of self psychology, an influential school of thought within psychodynamic/ psychoanalytic theory which helped transform the mod ...
in his
self psychology
Self psychology, a modern psychoanalytic theory and its clinical applications, was conceived by Heinz Kohut in Chicago in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, and is still developing as a contemporary form of psychoanalytic treatment. In self psychology, th ...
would challenge the Arlow/Brenner belief that
narcissistic personality disorder could be understood within the methodology of the
transference
Transference (german: Übertragung) is a phenomenon within psychotherapy in which the "feelings, attitudes, or desires" a person had about one thing are subconsciously projected onto the here-and-now Other. It usually concerns feelings from a ...
neurosis.
[Heinz Kohut, ''The Analysis of the Self'' (Madison 1971) p. 6n]
See also
References
External links
Interview
American psychoanalysts
Jewish psychoanalysts
1912 births
2004 deaths
20th-century American psychologists
{{US-psychologist-stub