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The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler: A Systematic Presentation in Selections from His Writings PDF

496 Pages·1964·2.32 MB·English
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THE INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY OF ALFRED ADLER A SYSTEMATIC PRESENTATION IN SELECTIONS FROM HIS WRITINGS Edited and annotated by HEINZ L. ANSBACHER, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, University of Vermont and ROWENA R. ANSBACHER, Ph.D. NEW YORK BASIC BOOKS, INC. PUBLISHERS Do not forget the most important fact that not heredity and not environment are determining factors.—-Both are giving only the frame and the influences which are answered by the individual in regard to his styled creative power. — adler PHOTO COURTESY OF DR ALEXANDRA ADLER 'b PREFACE When we hear such expressions as feelings of inferiority and insecurity, striving for self-enhancement and power, woman’s revolt against her feminine role, the oversolicitous mother, the dethronement of the first­ born, the need for affection; when maladjustment is spoken of as self- centeredness, psychological health as other-centeredness, psychiatry as the science of interpersonal relations, neurotic symptoms as ego-defenses and forms of aggression, to mention only a few instances—we are meeting ideas in which Alfred Adler was the pioneer from 1907, the date of his first important publication, until his death in 1937. Yet Adler’s name appears relatively infrequently in the literature of psychology and psychiatry today. How is this paradox to be explained? The explanation, in our opinion, is in large part the fact that Adler’s writ­ ings are unsystematic and therefore make unsatisfactory reading. As the number of those who learned from Adler through personal contact has grown smaller, he has understandably become less well known, and others who expressed the same ideas more lucidly and more recently are referred to instead. The purpose of the present volume is to make Adler’s contributions to the theory and practice of psychology available in a systematic and at the same time authentic form. To this end we made selections from his writ­ ings and organized them with the aim of approximating the general pres­ entation of a college textbook. Because every word in the main body of the work is Adler’s, the outcome of our efforts, if we have been successful, should be the equivalent of a textbook by Adler on Individual Psychology, the name which he gave to his system. Three reasons for the compilation of such a book might be given. As indicated at the outset, the ideas of Adler have today come into their own. Thus it would seem important to show them at their source. This was the main reason for our undertaking. PREFACE It is our thesis that Adler may be regarded as the original field theorist in a dynamic or depth psychology which has a social-science and “subjec- tivistic” orientation. Since his contributions represent a comprehensive and relatively simple system once all the parts are gathered together, Adler’s Individual Psychology might well introduce the orientation in psychology for which he laid the groundwork. By starting with Adler, the student would obtain a good foundation for better appreciating subse­ quent developments. To provide this introduction for the student was a second reason for our work. After an initial close association with Freud, Adler, in the course of his development, not only separated from him, but provided what one might call the antithesis to Freud’s theory all along the line. Because of this antithetical parallelism and because Adler was the adversary whom Freud heeded most, a better knowledge of Adler will at the same time afford a better understanding of Freud, regardless of one’s position toward his the­ ories. To afford this better understanding was then a third reason for the present work. In making the selections we were guided by the following criteria: (1) Adler’s mature theory of the normal and abnormal personality should be presented completely. (2) All his diagnostic and therapeutic methods should be included. (3) All the fields into which his interest and influence extended should be presented. (4) The points in Adler which are of par­ ticular current pertinence should be brought out. (5) The concepts that Adler is known for—or misunderstood for—should be clarified. (6) Ad­ ler’s development should be traced in order to explain certain apparent inconsistencies between earlier and later writings. (7) The full range of his historical controversy with Freud should be shown. (8) Little case material need be included, since such material can be found in many of Adler’s publications; this would keep the present work to a convenient size. The selections are preceded by an introduction by the editors in which we show that Adler is the original proponent of a depth psychology which is “subjectivistic,” in contrast to Freud who founded depth psychology from an “objective” position. This is followed by a discussion of the simi­ larities of various other “subjectivistic” points of view to Individual Psy­ chology. A running commentary accompanying the selections seeks to give ex­ planations, emphasis, and integration to the material. It is also a continu­ ation of the introduction to the extent that it points out contrasts to PREFACE Vll Freud and similarities with other systems. These comments by the editors are distinguished from the selections by italics. Nearly half of the selections were translated by the editors. Much of this material has not appeared in English heretofore, while for the rest the existing translations were considered inadequate. When existing transla­ tions were used, occasional changes were made where checking with the original indicated this to be necessary, or where the English version could be improved. As the editors consider lack of systematization the great shortcoming of the extant writings of Adler, they consider it their most important contri­ bution to have provided the organization of the material, including nearly all the headings and side headings. To accomplish such an organization, sequences by Adler could be left intact only in certain instances, whereas in others even what is found under a single side heading had to be brought together from material widely scattered throughout Adler’s writings. In Part I of the selections, “Personality Theory and its Development,” the first two chapters deal with Adler’s writings between 1907 and 1911. They are essentially historical and include a detailed account of his fun­ damental diEerences from Freud, which led to the separation from Freud. Chapter 3 deals with Adler’s philosophical background and his own final- ism or purposivism; it could be dated 1911-1912. Chapters 4 to 8 present Adler’s theory of personality proper. Here the historical approach has been abandoned. Instead, it was often found best to start with Adler’s latest writings which present his theory most compre­ hensively, and to fit the earlier writings into the framework provided by the later views. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 are concerned with the general, nomo­ thetic aspects of the theory organized around the concepts of striving for superiority, social interest, and degree of activity. Chapters 7 and 8 deal with the individual, idiographic aspects under the headings of “Style of Life” and “Psychology of Use,” Adler’s term for his complete functional­ ism. For the reader whose first interest is the actual theory of Individual psychology it is entirely feasible to begin with Chapter 4. In Part II, “Abnormal Psychology and Related Fields,” Adler’s theory of the neuroses is covered in Chapters 9 to 12. Methods of treatment and diagnosis, including dream theory, are presented in Chapters 13 and 14. The next two chapters are concerned with psychological problems of childhood, Chapter 15 with the social factors of early childhood, especially as these may influence the development toward a neurotic disposition, and Chapter 16 with the behavior disorders of childhood and their treat- vin PREFACE ment in the clinic and in the classroom. The remaining Chapters 17 to 19 deal with crime and related disorders, problems of everyday living, and problems of social psychology, specifically including social prejudice, war, and religion. Autobiographical and biographical material on Adler is found in the last part of Chapter 7 and incidentally throughout the book. In addition to the selections from Adler and the comments by the editors the book contains three readings by other authors. The first, in Chapter 2, is from a paper by Kenneth M. Colby presenting an account of the discussion which followed Adler’s critique of Freud before the Psychoanalytic Society of Vienna in 1911. The second, in Chapter 3, consists of excerpts from The Philosophy of ‘As If by Hans Vaihinger which exerted a far-reaching influence on Adler, as becomes evident throughout this volume. The third, in Chapter 5, is from the monograph on “Psychoanalysis and Ethics” by Carl Furtmiiller, Adler’s foremost early coworker; this paper seems to have played an important part in Ad­ ler’s formulation of the concept of social interest. This book could not have been conceived nor completed if we had not had extensive personal contact with Adler. From his public lectures, many informal seminars, and private conversations we had become well enough acquainted with Adler’s ideas to continue the search of his writ­ ings until we found what we knew ought to be there somewhere. We must add, however, that in this search we also found a considerable amount of material, especially among the earlier writings, which was altogether new to us. In a sense this book originated when the first editor was introduced to psychology through popular lectures which Adler gave under the auspices of Columbia University in 1930. From that time on he was challenged by Adler’s system and the problem of its place in and relationship to the larger body of psychology. As he took up the formal study of psychology, Individual Psychology furnished him a serviceable point of departure for approaching and evaluating results and theories in many areas of psy­ chology. The second editor, while working for her doctorate at the University of Vienna in 1928, attended for a year the informal lectures which Adler gave daily in his home at Dominikanerbastei 10, as well as the weekly meetings of the Individual Psychology Society of Vienna. Close contact by both editors with Adler continued throughout the rest of his life. PREFACE ix Despite our positive attitude toward Individual Psychology we are not unaware of certain limitations. A deliberate critical examination and evaluation is, however, beyond the scope of this book, which is the presentation and clarification of the work of Adler. HEINZ L. ANSBACHER ROWENA R. ANSBACHER Burlington, Vermont October, 1955 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We are glad to express our thanks for the help we have received in the preparation of this book. Professor A. H. Maslow gave the first and most sustained stimulation by concurring with us in the need for a compre­ hensive book on the psychology of Alfred Adler, by urging us to embark upon such an enterprise, and by supporting us throughout the years with his continued interest. Professor Paul F. Lazarsfeld suggested that a book of readings would best fill this existing need, and through his suggestion our plan began to take its final shape. Professors Gordon W. Allport and Gardner Murphy read our preliminary introduction and advanced our work through their understanding and their criticism. Professors David Krech and Richard S. Crutchfield helped us indirectly through their book, Theory and Problems of Social Psychology. This work, based on the re­ lated points of view of Wolfgang Kohler, Kurt Lewin, and Edward Chace Tolmann, has helped us to see many points of Individual Psychology in a broader perspective. Certain preliminary work was aided through a summer research grant to the first editor by the University of Vermont. In the preparation of the manuscript with all its tribulations, the unfail­ ing care and efficiency of Mrs. Madeline W. Chaplin was a great con­ solation. Great support and encouragement came to us from those who are actively carrying on the Adlerian tradition. Dr. Alexandra Adler, daugh­ ter of Alfred Adler and herself a psychiatrist, has given continuous assur­ ances of her confidence in us to present and interpret her father’s work and has made available to us certain of his inaccessible yet important pub­ lications. Dr. Kurt A. Adler, the son of Alfred Adler, and also a psychia­ trist, undertook the task of giving the manuscript a careful and critical reading. He gave us invaluable suggestions which could only have been made by someone in his position of long and most intimate association with the development of Individual Psychology. Through the offices of

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When we hear such expressions as feelings of inferiority and insecurity, striving for self-enhancement and power, woman's revolt against her feminine role, the oversolicitous mother, the dethronement of the first-born, the need for affection; when maladjustment is spoken of as self-centeredness, psy
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