ABSTRACT
This book is an introduction to the philosophy of psychoanalysis, for those with an interest or engagement in philosophy, psychotherapy, or both, as well as anyone wanting to explore this profound and overlapping field. Although this is a complex subject, no prior knowledge or experience of either philosophy or psychoanalysis is required. When specialized terms are introduced, they are explained and expressed in ordinary language, with a glossary for instant reference. Nevertheless, this is not an introduction which avoids the big questions, or leaves them to the ‘advanced’ stage. The subject matter of the book is more fundamental than either psychoanalysis itself or any particular branch of philosophy. Our concern is with the common ground of all psychoanalytic approaches, and the focus is on the divergent principles which different philosophers have used to justify or to reject psychoanalytic thinking. The aim is to work towards an understanding of psychoanalysis through its central concept, the unconscious, which recognizes and makes sense of the entrenched disagreement about what its foundational principles are.
