Unconscious Abyss, The: Hegel's Anticipation of Psychoanalysis

The first extended treatment of Hegel's theory of the unconscious and his anticipation of Freud. BACKCOVER: Offering the first comprehensive examination of Hegel's theory of the unconscious abyss, Jon Mills rectifies a much neglected area of Hegel scholarship. Mills shows that the unconscious is the foundation for conscious and self-conscious life and is responsible for the normative and pathological forces that fuel psychic development. In addition, Mills illustrates how Hegel's idea of the unconscious abyss transcends his time and is a pivotal concept to his entire philosophical system-one that advances the current understanding of the psychoanalytic mind. Author Biography: Jon Mills is a psychologist and a philosopher in private practice, Research Associate at the Institute at Lakeridge Health, and teaches at the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Toronto. He is the coauthor (with Janusz A. Polanowski) of The Ontology Of Prejudice. Offering the first comprehensive examination of Hegel's theory of the unconscious abyss, Jon Mills rectifies a much neglected area of Hegel scholarship. Mills shows that the unconscious is the foundation for conscious and self-conscious life and is responsible for the normative and pathological forces that fuel psychic development. In addition, Mills illustrates how Hegel's idea of the unconscious abyss transcends his time and is a pivotal concept to his entire philosophical system -- one that advances the current understanding of the psychoanalytic mind. Annotation From the shadow of scholarly neglect and penumbra of passing reference, Mills, a psychologist and philosopher based in Toronto, lifts into the light Hegel's theory of the unconsciousness. A problem, he confesses, is that the German philosopher himself made little direct reference to his theory, and generally mentions it in passing, though it played a vital role in his philosophy of subjective spirit. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR