This paper explores the relevance of the concept of character organization for psychoanalysis and argues for its usefulness in preserving what is specific to character. Character organization is viewed as a bridge concept between the observable and the structural, the role of fantasy and object relations in development, and as a convenient way of describing certain global phenomena not easily encompassed by the structural theory or compromise formation.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Abraham, K. (1949). Psychoanalytic contributions to character formation. In Selected Papers.New York: Basic Books, 1953, pp. 370–418.
2.
American Psychiatric Association (1982). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III). Washington, D.C.: Amer. Psychiat. Assn.
3.
Arlow, J. A. (1960). Character and conflict. J. Hillside Hosp., 15:140–150.
4.
Arlow, J. A. (1963). Conflict, regression and symptom formation. Int. J. Psychoanal., 44:12–23.
5.
Baudry, F. (1983). The evolution of the concept of character in Freud's work. J. Amer. Psychoanal. Assn., 31:1–31.
6.
Baudry, F. (1984). Character: a concept in search of an identity. J. Amer. Psychoanal. Assn., 32:955–979.
7.
Blos, P. (1968). Character formation in adolescence. Psychoanal. Study Child, 23:245–263.
8.
Boesky, D. (1983). Resistance and character theory: a reconsideration of the concept of character resistance. J. Amer. Psychoanal. Assn., 31(Suppl.):227–247.
9.
Brenner, G. (1982). The Mind in Conflict. New York: Int. Univ. Press.
10.
Emde, R. N. (1988). Development terminable and interminable: I. Innate and motivational factors from infancy. Int. J. Psychoanal.69:23–42.
11.
Fenichel, O. (1945). The Psychoanalytic Theory of Neurosis. New York: Norton.
12.
Freud, A. (1936). The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense. Writings, 2. New York: Int. Univ. Press, 1966.
13.
Freud, S. (1895). Project for a scientific psychology. S. E., 1.
14.
Freud, S. (1896a). Draft K. The neuroses of defence. S. E., 1.
15.
Freud, S. (1896b). Further remarks on the neuropsychoses of defence. S. E., 3.
16.
Freud, S. (1908). Character and anal erotism. S. E., 9.
17.
Freud, S. (1913). The disposition to obsessional neurosis. S. E., 12.
18.
Freud, S. (1915). Repression. S. E., 14.
19.
Freud, S. (1920). Beyond the pleasure principle. S. E., 18.
20.
Freud, S. (1923). The ego and the id. S. E., 19.
21.
Freud, S. (1926). Inhibitions, symptoms and anxiety. S. E., 20.
22.
Freud, S. (1937). Analysis terminable and interminable. S. E., 23.
23.
Freud, S. (1940). Splitting of the ego in the process of defence. S. E., 23.
24.
Fries, M. E., Brokaw, K. & Murray, V. F. (1935). The formation of character as observed in the well baby clinic. Amer. J. Dis. Child., 49:28–42.
25.
Glover, E. (1926). The neurotic character. Int. J. Psychoanal., 1:11–20.
26.
Grossman, W. I. (1967). Introspection and psychoanalysis. Int. J. Psychoanal., 48:16–31.
27.
Grossman, W. I. (1984). The self as fantasy: fantasy as theory. J. Amer. Psychoanal. Assn., 30:919–939.
28.
Hartmann, H. (1948). Comments on the psychoanalytic theory of instinctual drives. In Essays on Ego Psychology.New York: Int. Univ. Press, 1964, pp. 69–89.
29.
Hartmann, H. (1952). The mutual influences in the development of the ego and id. In Essays on Ego Psychology.New York: Int. Univ. Press, 1964, pp. 155–181.
30.
Jacobson, E. (1969). The Self and the Object World. New York: Int. Univ. Press.
31.
Kernberg, O. (1976). Object Relations Theory and Clinical Psychoanalysis. New York: Aronson.
32.
Loewald, H. (1978). Instinct theory, object relations, and psychic structure formation. J. Amer. Psychoanal. Assn., 26:493–506.
33.
Lustman, S. (1962). Defense, symptom, and character. Psychoanal. Study Child, 17:216–244.
34.
Mahler, M. S. (1979). Selected Papers. Vol. 2: Separation-Individuation.New York: Aronson
35.
Meissner, W. W. (1986). Can psychoanalysis find its self. J. Amer. Psychoanal. Assn., 34:379–401.
36.
Reich, W. (1933). Character Analysis.New YorkOrgone Inst. Press, 1949.
37.
Richter, H. (1975). Role of family life in child development. Int. J. Psychoanal., 57:385–395.
38.
Schafer, R. (1976). A New Language for Psychoanalysis. New Haven, Conn.: Yale Univ. Press.
39.
Schafer, R. (1979). Character, ego syntonicity, and character change. J. Amer. Psychoanal. Assn., 27:867–891.
40.
Silverman, M. A., Rees, K. & Neubauer, P. B. (1975). On a central psychic constellation. Psychoanal. Study Child, 30:127–161.
41.
Waelder, R. (1930). The principle of multiple function: observations on overdetermination. In Psychoanalysis: Observation, Theory, Application, ed. S. A. GuttmanNew York: Int. Univ. Press, 1976, pp. 68–83.