ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book shows Jacques Riviere's keen perception of new trends. As a student of philosophy, he must have known or sensed the changing interpretations of the nature of the human mind which stemmed from the discoveries of Charcot and Janet at the end of the nineteenth century and were being further studied by psychologists abroad. Riviere also saw the need for a new art that would not merely record the new forces, but also explore and interpret them. He had been delighted with the performances of the Ballet Russe for several years, but his enthusiasm reached a peak when, in 1913, he attended the performance of the Sacre du printemps by Stravinsky, Roerich, and Nijinsky.
