Introduction by Leo Rangell: At the IPA Congress in London in 1975, a debate took place in the opening plenary session between Andre Green and me on “Changes in Psychoanalytic Theory and Practice”. I argued for a continuing, cumulative single theory, while Green felt hat new and sicker patients required significant changes in theory. About a quarter century later, Martin Bergmann referred to this debate as a landmark in the history of psychoanalysis, placing it in a series with earlier debates, on Ferenczi’s active technique, Wilhelm Reich’s character analysis, and the Controversial Discussions between the proponents of Melanie Klein and Anna Freud. “In the debate itself,” Bergmann writes, “Rangell and Anna Freud [who was the discussant ofthe two papers] carried the day,” but continues, “the era they represented had already passed.” Although winning “hands down” on content, the analytic center, “so eloquently defended by Rangell and Anna Freud, could not turn back the tide of change that André Green had represented.”
Looking back at this intercontinental discussion, it might well be that this conclusion initiated the general attitude of pluralism over unity that followed as this debate was followed by an explosion of psychoanalytic theory from a fairly uniform system to a cluster of competing theories. The original tapes of this historic exchange have been preserved and can here be listened to again. From a current perspective, it might be asked: “What might have been the course of theory had the one who won actually won.”
NOTE: In the recordings linked below, Andre Green’s presentation is interpreted in the voice of a female interpreter.
This portion of the debate took place immediately following the remarks by Anna Freud as posted last time, and in fact picks up on the heels of the lengthy applaiuse which followed her talk.
Click Below to Listen to: Introduction and Leo Rangell, Rebutal, Part 1
Click Below to Listen to: Leo Rangell, Rebutal, Part 2
Click Below to Listen to: Andre Green, Rebutal, Part 1
Click Below to Listen to: Andre Green, Rebutal, Part 2