H. Stuart Hughes - Support of Psychoanalysis and Psychohistory

Support of Psychoanalysis and Psychohistory

As a beneficiary of it, Hughes saw the value of psychoanalysis. His widow, Judith Hughes, is a European historian and psychoanalyst. He, in the words of his wife, “could not have lived the life he did, at least the last 40-plus years of it, without benefit of psychoanalysis.”

As a historian Stuart Hughes saw enormous value of the Freudian world view applied to history. In Gentleman Rebel he reported being close to his Harvard colleague Erik Erikson and serving in the ”supporting cast” of psychohistory. When Richard Schoenwald established the first psychohistory newsletter (the predecessor to The Psychohistory Review), Hughes made serious contributuions and encouraged the new and bold direction of the publication.

An important bibliographer of psychohistory, William Gilmore, calls “History and Psychoanalysis: The Explanation of Motive,” in Hughes’ book, History as Art and as Science (1964), an indispensable “classic” and “a must reading.” Hughes’ memoirs are particularly revealing, as he does not begin his account with any mention of his distinguished family, but instead with a question from his psychoanalyst, Avery Weisman.

Read more about this topic:  H. Stuart Hughes

Famous quotes containing the words support of and/or support:

    “Universal suffrage should rest upon universal education. To this end, liberal and permanent provision should be made for the support of free schools by the State governments, and, if need be, supplemented by legitimate aid from national authority.”
    —Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)

    “Many people now believe that if fathers are more involved in raising children than they were, children and sons in particular will learn that men can be warm and supportive of others as well as be high achievers. Thus, fathers’ involvement may be beneficial not because it will help support traditional male roles, but because it will help break them down.”
    —Joseph H. Pleck (20th century)