Acts of Will: The Life and Work of Otto Rank by Lieberman E. James

Author:Lieberman, E. James [Lieberman, E. James]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Free Press
Published: 2010-05-10T16:00:00+00:00

This previously unpublished letter starkly tells the difference between north and south in the conflict around Freud. Jones, who became famous as Freud’s ardent, eloquent defender, put intellectual conviction ahead of his relationship with the aging Professor. He would have abandoned Freud if his own ideology could not overcome Rank’s with their mutual mentor. Rank and Ferenczi had quite another notion of loyalty to Freud personally and to his work. They put a higher value on relationship—as therapists, theorists, and colleagues. Their feeling for Freud and each other was nourished by more extensive personal contact, both intellectual and emotional.

Jones was like Freud in his ability to cut off a disliked opponent. In this case, like Jung, he was ready to cut off Freud himself. But Rank identified more with Freud’s imaginative power, his encouragement of creative work, and his warmth. In the ideological crisis, the northern contingent of the Ring fought on conservative lines. It held a base of power in numbers and influence, with many trainees and the English Press in its camp. The southern group ran the German language publications, and fought along liberal lines to humanize psychoanalysis and make it more effective. Both sides could be autocratic and angry. Neither had much use for the other, except as organizational need and the Professor’s wishes dictated. Sachs and Eitingon in Berlin had some moderating effect, but they were not strong figures. The cutting of the vital tie to Freud that Jones—of all people—was prepared to do in April could not be done so easily by Rank.

His birth trauma theory was a pre-Oedipal extension of what Rank had learned at the Professor’s side. Not a rebellion, the new work was a tribute, accepted by Freud as the greatest progress since the beginning of psychoanalysis. Freud’s gradual withdrawal of support forced Rank to either recant or fight back, perhaps for the first time in his life. In the year to come he was to do both. Rank turned forty on April 22. Helene Deutsch gave a party for him, at which he was heard to say that it was time for a change in his life.46 Five days later he hastily left the Salzburg Congress for New York.

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