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Abstract

Holt recently questioned whether classical psychoanalytic metapsychology is relevant to modern psychoanalytic and psychodynamic clinical theories. He claims that Freud's structural and dynamic models do not meet updated philosophical standards. In addition, Freud's notion of the unconscious has always posed problems of definition, description, and measurement. The very existence of an unconscious has been doubted; nonetheless, some metapsychology is necessary, and such theorists as Schafer have accordingly worked to redefine the nature of psychoanalysis. Wolff and Schimek reexamined Freud's notion of unconscious mental representation. Extension of their work to clarify the need and role for a concept of unconscious which can be part of a more modern, philosophically acceptable metapsychology is attempted here.

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