ABSTRACT
In order to have an exact idea of Freudian theory, it is indispensable to recognize several epistemological breaks – to use the now consecrated expression – in its evolution. In general, psychoanalysts know their history quite well, but they are often content to advance facts without justifying the arguments which induced Freud to modify his opinion. I shall retrace the principal stages of this evolution, laying particular emphasis on the well-known and decisive mutation called the ‘turning-point’ of 1920. It is necessary to show how this turning-point was prepared and how it plays the role of an essential cornerstone for understanding Freud’s thought once the latter had reached its term. It can be said, in a general manner, that the ground covered by Freud constitutes in itself a summary of the ground covered by psychoanalysis as a whole.
