ABSTRACT

This reader brings together a selection of seminal papers by Christopher Bollas.

Essays such as "The Fascist State of Mind," "The Structure of Evil," and "The Functions of History" have established his position as one of the most significant cultural critics of our time. Also included are examples of his psychoanalytical writings, such as "The Transformational Object" and "Psychic Genera," that deepen and renew interest in unconscious creative processes. Two recent essays, "Character and Interformality" and "The Wisdom of the Dream" extend his work on aesthetics and the role of form in everyday life.
 
This is a collection of papers that will appeal to anyone interested in human experience and subjectivity.

chapter Chapter 1|12 pages

The transformational object

chapter Chapter 2|9 pages

Extractive introjection

chapter Chapter 3|15 pages

Normotic Illness

chapter Chapter 4|20 pages

The destiny drive

chapter Chapter 5|22 pages

Psychic genera

chapter Chapter 6|15 pages

The fascist state of mind

chapter Chapter 7|18 pages

Why oedipus?

chapter Chapter 8|23 pages

The functions of history

chapter Chapter 9|20 pages

Cracking up

chapter Chapter 10|23 pages

The structure of evil

chapter Chapter 11|16 pages

Mental interference

chapter Chapter 12|13 pages

Creativity and psychoanalysis

chapter Chapter 13|21 pages

Architecture and the unconscious

chapter Chapter 14|10 pages

What is theory?

chapter Chapter 15|11 pages

Character and interformality

chapter Chapter 16|10 pages

The wisdom of the dream