ABSTRACT
Heinz Kohut is the founder of the self-psychological movement in the USA. This chapter discusses Kohut’s work from 1959 to 1984. Kohut’s work can be viewed as purely an extension of Freud’s theory of narcissism or, alternatively, as an important shift in the way he conceptualized psychoanalytic technique and early development. By 1977, Kohut has moved towards defining a self-psychological perspective where he distinguishes his theory from Freudian, or at least classical, psychoanalytic concepts. Kohut, in describing a superego structure that has remained personified (sexualized), posits a state of humiliation for the person if the personified ideals are not realized. Kohut is naturally occupied with narcissistic concerns of Germany and the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime. During the five years after the paper on narcissistic rage (1972), there was a strong movement of analysts, who were frequently called self-psychologists, who adhered to Kohutian theory.
