Abstract
The article considers the formation of innovative psychological method of schizophrenia research performed by S. Spielrein in her dissertation “On the psychological content of a single case of schizophrenia” (1911). The authors display that contrary to popular view on S. Spielrein as a devoted disciple of K. G. Jung in fact in her study of the case of schizophrenia she had developed an original method that synthesized the most promising psychiatric approaches of that time. On the basis of Burgholzli archival documents research the authors claim that it is exclusively due to E. Bleuler Freud’s method had been welcomed
in the “big” psychiatry so that S. Spielrein had a chance to get to know it and to apply to her study. The authors focus on the neo-Kantian component of Spielrein’s “psychological” method. Neo-Kantian descriptive research methods inspired the other prominent
psychiatrist of XX century – Karl Jaspers. In 1909 S. Spielrein was going to enroll in the University of Heidelberg, and could had become a pupil of W. Windelband or a follower of K. Jaspers in psychiatry, but she had chosen to return to Burgholzli and to psychoanalysis.
The authors display that S. Spielrein had developed in her dissertation a
method that combined a phenomenological approach to the subjective symptoms (neo-Kantians & Jaspers) with the “presumption of meaningfulness” of delirious speech (Bleuler & Freud). What is more, she had fully realizes in her case study a humanistic potential of both approaches.
References
Van vaning a. raboty odnogo iz pionerov psihoanaliza – Sabiny Spielrein [The works of one of the pioneers of psychoanalysis – Sabina Spielrein]. Voprosy Psihologii – Questions of psychology, 1995, no. 6, pp. 66–78.
Karotenuto a. Transfer v “tajnoj simmetrii” [Transfer in the “secret of symmetry”]. Sabina Spielrein: nad vremenem i sud’boj – Sabina Spielrein: over time and fate. rostov-on-Don, Mini Taip, 2004, pp. 84–88.
lotan g. v zashhitu Sabiny Spielrein [In defense of Sabina Spielrein]. Vestnik Psihoanaliza – Bulletin of psychoanalysis, 2000, 2, pp. 22–44.
richebaecher S. Sabina Spielrein: “Pochti zhestokaja ljubov’ k nauke” [Sabina Spielrein “almost fierce love to science”]. rostov-on-Don, Feniks, 2007.
Romek E. a. Social’nyj status psihoterapii: avtoref. diss. … dokt. filos. nauk [Social status of psychotherapy: abstr. Diss. … Doct. of philosophy]. rostov-on-Don, rSu publ., 2003.
Romek E. a. Fenomenologicheskij metod i dilemma psihiatrii: Binsvanger i gusserl’[The phenomenological method and the dilemma of psychiatry: Binswanger and husserl]. Voprosy filosofii – Questions of Philosophy, 2001, no. 11, p. 80.
Spilrein S. o psihologicheskom soderzhanii odnogo iz sluchaev shizofrenii (dementia praecox) (1911 a) [on the psychological content of a single case of schizophrenia (dementia praecox) (1911 a)]. Spilrein S. Psihoanaliticheskie trudy – Spilrein S. psychoanalytic Writings. Izhevsk, Ergo, 2008, pp. 3–86.
Jung K. g. Vospominanija, snovidenija, razmyshlenija [Memories, Dreams, reflections]. Mn, harvest, 2003.
Jaspers K. Obshhaja psihopatologija [general psychopathology]. Moscow publ., 1997.
Bleuler E. Breuer josef und Sigmund Freud. Studien uber hysterie // Muenchener Medicinische Wochenschrift, 1896, 43.
Bleuler E. Zur auffassung der subcorticalen aphasien // Neurologisches centralblatt, 1892, 11, pp. 562–563.
Bleuler M. geschichte des Burgholzlis und psychiatrische universitätsklinik // Zuricher Spitalgeschichte, hrsg. vom regierungsrat des Kantons Zurich. Zurich, 1951.
Carotenuto a. a secret symmetry: Sabina Spielrein between jung and Freud. N. y., pantheon Books, 1982.
Kuchenhoff B. autismus – autoerotismus. Das verhältnis von psychiatrie und psychoanalyze am Burgholzli // Das unbewusste in Zurich. Zurich, New Zuricher Zeitung, 2000, pp. 217–232