Freud's "On Narcissism: An Introduction" (Contemporary Freud Series)

Each book in this series presents a classic essay by Freud and discussions of the essay by psychoanalytic teachers and clinicians differing in emphases and in geographical background. "On Narcissim: An Introduction" is an essay dealing with ideas that are still being debated today - from the role of narcissim in normal and pathological development, and the relationship of narcissim to homosexuality, libido, romantic love, and self-esteem, to issues of therapeutic intervention. The contributors to this volume - Clifford Yorke, R. Horacio Etchegoyen, Nikolaad Treurniet, Leon Grinbert, Willy Baranger, Otto K. Kernberg, Hanna Segal and David Bell, Paul H. Ornstein, Heinz Henseler, and Bela Grunberger - provide diversive viewpoints on Freud's essay. They place the work in the context of Freud's evolving thinking, point out its innovations, review its problematic aspects and examine how its theoretical concepts have been elaborated more recently by analysts of diverse theoretic persuasions. In addition, they use Freud's text to chart new developments in psychoanalysis and point toward still unresolved problems.