On violence. A preliminary communication
Glasser, M.
International Journal of Psycho-Analysis 79: 887-902
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0020-7578 PMID: 9871829 Document Number: 490742
The author argues that although aggression is a central feature of psychoanalytic theory and clinical thinking, little attention has been given by psychoanalysts to the matter of violence. Manifest violence is heterogenous and an adequate understanding of it would involve a multi-disciplinary approach. The author focuses on consideration of a psychoanalytic contribution to this understanding. From this point of view all acts of violence may be characterised as one of two types, or a combination of them, namely self-preservative violence and sado-masochistic violence. These are characterised and differentiated; and the relationship between the two is considered, while use is made of clinical material. The issue of 'violence in the transference' is illustrated and briefly discussed.