Towards metapsychology of limits: the possible dialogue between drive theory and object relational theory and some of its consequences Freud, Winnicott and Green

Author(s)

Camila Junqueira

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Psicologia (IP/SBD)
• Defense date: 2010-03-26

Examining board members

Nelson Ernesto Coelho Junior; Luiz Augusto Monnerat Celes; Luiz Claudio Mendonca Figueiredo; Daniel Kupermann; Octavio Almeida de Souza

• Advisor: Nelson Ernesto Coelho Junior

Abstract

Understanding the metapsychology of limits as a part of the psychoanalytic theory which aim to understand the framing and the functioning of the psychic limits as well as a part of the psychoanalytic theory which aim to understand the etiology, the functioning and the treatment of the borderline cases, manifestations which occur due to failures at the constitutioning and functioning of the psychic limits. And departing of the hypothesis that the metapsychologycal turn demanded by the borderline states is less in the sense of amplify the diversity of metapsychological models and much more in the sense of set in dialogue two theoretical models which are in the base of the psychoanalytic thought, but which were historically split off and considered incompatible: the drive theory and the object relation theory. The aims of this research were (1) to question the limits of the opposition between Freuds drive theory and Winnicotts object relation theory, (2) to present the solution Andre Green propose to this apparent opposition, arguing in favor of the conception of drive and instinct as an inseparable pair, (3) to present and to discuss some of the metapsychological consequences of the possible dialogue between these two theories since study of Freuds and Winnicotts theories, also giving emphasis to the Greens contributions to this dialogue, in order to verify if the hypothesis describe above can be maintained. The presence of object in Freuds theory and the presence of instinct in Winnicotts theory in a second moment of the emotional development denote some overture on theses theories for dialogue. The strong opposition between then, pointed by the psychoanalytic literature, seems to be result of a historical moment. Nevertheless, it follows that the dialogue between these two theories must be done inside certain limits which regard the evidence that Freuds and Winnicotts studies concerned two different levels of apprehension of the Self, which are related, but not superpose each other. Andre Green, at first, disrespect the limits of this dialogue arguing in favor that drive and instinct constitute an inseparable pair, which turns unacceptable one theory which is organized upon one of these two poles, promoting then a re-reading of Freuds and Winnicotts theories and producing important advances for the metapsychology of limits. Meanwhile, more recently, Green brings up what he calls the gradients theory, which corroborate with the evidence that there are limits in this dialogue. The examination of the consequences of this dialogue have produced some proposals, among them: a new reorganization of the psychic topic in order to include the no-psychic, product of the desobjatalization and splitting process, also named third topic; the understanding of borderline pathologies as a specific type of narcissistic neurosis; and also the metapsychological thought as a help to the analyst in front of the clinical challenges proposed by these cases. Finally, the exam accomplished on this research give evidence that the metapsychological turn demanded the borderline states is towards a dialogue between drive theory and object relational theory, confirming the initial hypothesis of this research (AU)