Psychology and the Soul by Otto Rank (9780801857393)

Description - Psychology and the Soul by Otto Rank

In his last years, Otto Rank turned his lifetime of thought and learning toward two of the most difficult topics in human history: religion and the soul. The result was his now classic work, presented here in an English translation. Unlike many other intellectuals of the 20th century, Rank maintains a place for the soul rather than dismissing it as a fantasy. The soul and the beliefs about it, he argues, set forth the foundation for psychology, with its complex analysis of consciousness, self-consciousness and personality. Rank's commentary is not limited to beliefs about individual souls but includes ideas about group souls, sometimes encompassing nations or generations. Rank suggests that it is in the expression of group belief that the idea of the soul attains its greatest power. Richter and Lieberman's new translation of "Psychology and the Soul" is a major contribution to our understanding not only of psychology and psychoanalysis but also of modern Western culture. While perhaps not Rank's best-known work, it is one of his most important in its critique of Freud and its attempt to define psychology's true concerns.

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