The Work of Hans Loewald

Hans Loewald is one of the most seminal and influential thinkers in modern psycho-analysis. Loewald's reach is very wide; both object-relational and classical ego-psychological theorists often claim him for their own. Loewald's writings are demanding and complex, however, and sometimes difficult to penetrate. This volume is built around his important and most frequently quoted paper, "On the Therapeutic Action of Psychoanalysis" (1960), which crystalizes and unifies his thought and predicts many of the ideas he later pursues in more detail. Many regard this as one of the most challenging and important papers of modern psychoanalysis. Its significance is reassessed in this volume by three major psychoanalytic thinkers: Arnold M. Cooper, Lawrence Friedman, and Roy Schafer. They consider its place in the history of psychoanalytic ideas, its relation to Loewald's other work, and the impact of Loewald's thinking on their own. In order to introduce the reader to the wider scope of his work, two other papers are included."Superego and Time" (1962) is a brief, accessible article that demonstrates how certain of Loewald's philosophic interests have influenced his views of psychic structure. "Psychoanalysis as an Art and the Fantasy Character of the Psychoanalytic Situation" (1975) is a self-contained contribution that reflects Loewald's conception of psychoanalytic treatment. Gerald Fogel introduces each of these papers with a note explaining their significance in relation to Loewald's other writings, and he closes the book with a detailed review and synthesis of the entire body of Loewald's work.