ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some core ideas which form a basis for studying the psychology of politics, ideas which run through the rest of the book. The approach taken is a ‘psychosocial’ one: our inner psychological worlds must always be understood in their societal contexts. Drawing on contemporary psychoanalytic thought, this chapter suggests that two fundamental human needs are at the heart of politics: the need for safety and the need for dignity. Our psychic well-being depends heavily on the extent to which our early emotional development enabled us to acquire an internal sense of safety, and one of dignity. These resources are our ‘emotional capital’, at both individual and societal levels. Without sufficient emotional capital, we are more likely to experience fear and humiliation. These feelings play a major part in politics, and much depends on whether they are amplified or contained by what happens in the political domain.
