Judaism and Psychoanalysis: reflections on the life and work of Freud

Abstract

This article seeks to reflect on the origin and construction of the psychoanalytic field, starting from Freud’s relationship with Judaism. To do so, we examine the place of Judaism in the author’s life, based on his relationship with his father, which culminated in a unique appropriation of his Jewish heritage. We revisit Freud’s criticisms of religion and question what place Judaism holds in his life. We note that, through a particular appropriation of Judaism, Freud appears to have elaborated on part of his affective ambivalence directed towards the paternal figure, thus overcoming the “resigned father” who inhabited his memories. Freud’s elaboration of the “parricide” is present in our conjectures in his bold reinterpretation of monotheistic religion, in which the traumatic experience of exile, experienced by himself and his ancestors, gains new origins and meanings. Finally, we draw parallels between the fields of Psychoanalysis and Judaism, particularly from the idea of non-place, of deterritorialization. We highlight the courage of Freud’s undertaking, which, despite not breaking with the “monotheistic logic”, revealed the traumatic nature of its establishment and perpetuation.

Keywords: Freud. Judaism. Psychoanalysis. Monotheism.