The Politics of Despair

Abstract

Despair is more than the absence of hope. It is the outcome of a crisis in relationships, both at the interpersonal and the transpersonal levels, as a result of a rupture in a relationship that should have been trusting, caring and containing. This is particularly true in the relation between individuals and groups, and society at large.

In our present world, there has been a sharp turn away from the belief that the community is responsible for the welfare of its members, and especially those who are deprived or disadvantaged. There is an upsurge of a ruthless ideology of ferocious cannibalistic competition that drops the losers on the way. This implies a fracture in the very fabric of society, which breeds despair, crass materialism, a relentless exploitation of sensuality, and ultimately violence.

As this state of affairs emerges in our daily practice, it is frequently misinterpreted as being only an expression of internal conflicts or failures in early object relations. I believe the analytic approach should explore the dialectics between inner and outer, individual and collective, private and political, thus opening the way for thinking-through this highly complex situation. Group analysis offers a privileged opportunity for an in-depth exploration of the individual–society relations and their widespread pathology.