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Utopianism in psychology: The case of Wilhelm Reich

✍ Scribed by Petteri Pietikainen

Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
2002
Tongue
English
Weight
158 KB
Volume
38
Category
Article
ISSN
0022-5061

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✦ Synopsis

Abstract

This article examines utopian elements in Wilhelm Reich's writings in his American phase (1939–1957) in order to illustrate utopian sources of dynamic psychology. Although there are scholars who have used the term β€œpsychological utopia” and applied it to individual thinkers (Reich, Marcuse, Fromm) and to specific psychological disciplines (psychoanalysis, behaviorism, cognitive psychology), the term itself has remained elusive and vague. Furthermore, there have been few attempts to systematically examine utopian elements in twentieth‐century psychology in general and the basic assumptions of psychological utopianism in particular. While pointing out that Reich's orgonomic theories have no scientific merit, this article argues for the relevancy of his ideas for understanding the nature of utopianism in dynamic psychology. Β© 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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