Mortal Wound, Shame, and Tragic Search: Reflections on Tragic Experience and Tragic Conflicts in History, Literature, and Psychotherapy.
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| Title: | Mortal Wound, Shame, and Tragic Search: Reflections on Tragic Experience and Tragic Conflicts in History, Literature, and Psychotherapy. |
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| Authors: | Wurmser, Léon (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Psychoanalytic Inquiry. Jan2015, Vol. 35 Issue 1, p13-39. 27p. |
| Subjects: | Tragedy (Trauma), Shame, Psychotherapy, Pathos, Terror, Pathological psychology |
| Abstract: | We can distinguish between a) the original concepts of tragedy as a particularly influential form of drama, culminating in extreme suffering; b) the tragic compassion, terror, and pathos, shudder and awe evoked in the audience; c) the tragic vision of life and world as a form of value philosophy stressing the unsolvable nature of some basic conflicts and their radical, even absolute nature; d) the tragic conflict described as an exemplary phenomenon in history, i.e. as value destruction, specifically as the dialectical turning of a high value into destruction; e) the popular overextension of the term used for any swift, unexpected disaster; and, finally, f) the tragic experience as a central psychopathological phenomenon, a complex of archaic conflicts, images and events, as exemplified by the tragic character. The tragic fate is a heroic fight against catastrophe, death and inner deadness, which fails. Specifically, the article studies a fourfold layering of the dynamics of tragedy (of conflict and trauma): 1. The conflict of reason, order and measure against various forms of incomprehensible compulsion or necessity from within or from without. 2. This leads to the violation of some basic order of existence and the need for expiation for that guilt. The overriding conflict is that of power, honor, and possession as absolute values against love, belonging and community commitments. Shame versus guilt is the tragic dilemma par excellence. 3. All the conflicts express an absoluteness and global nature of all value pursuits by the protagonists which makes them principally irreconcilable; it is the core of hubris and comes closest to what Aristotle refers to asHamartía. This stands in sharpest conflict with nature’s measure and limitations and society’s law and order as mostly represented by the chorus. 4. The wish to violate the most basic limitations and boundaries is rooted in the “mortal wound” or trauma and the desperate search for some healing. This image of the “mortal wound at the core of being” stands for “primary pain”, “primary shame”, and “primary anxiety” as the essence of the tragic dimension of human existence. An analysis of shame is the focus of the second part of the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Psychoanalytic Inquiry is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Header | DbId: pbh DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection An: 100577415 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Mortal Wound, Shame, and Tragic Search: Reflections on Tragic Experience and Tragic Conflicts in History, Literature, and Psychotherapy. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wurmser%2C+Léon%22">Wurmser, Léon</searchLink> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Psychoanalytic+Inquiry%22">Psychoanalytic Inquiry</searchLink>. Jan2015, Vol. 35 Issue 1, p13-39. 27p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tragedy+%28Trauma%29%22">Tragedy (Trauma)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Shame%22">Shame</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychotherapy%22">Psychotherapy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pathos%22">Pathos</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Terror%22">Terror</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pathological+psychology%22">Pathological psychology</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: We can distinguish between a) the original concepts of tragedy as a particularly influential form of drama, culminating in extreme suffering; b) the tragic compassion, terror, and pathos, shudder and awe evoked in the audience; c) the tragic vision of life and world as a form of value philosophy stressing the unsolvable nature of some basic conflicts and their radical, even absolute nature; d) the tragic conflict described as an exemplary phenomenon in history, i.e. as value destruction, specifically as the dialectical turning of a high value into destruction; e) the popular overextension of the term used for any swift, unexpected disaster; and, finally, f) the tragic experience as a central psychopathological phenomenon, a complex of archaic conflicts, images and events, as exemplified by the tragic character. The tragic fate is a heroic fight against catastrophe, death and inner deadness, which fails. Specifically, the article studies a fourfold layering of the dynamics of tragedy (of conflict and trauma): 1. The conflict of reason, order and measure against various forms of incomprehensible compulsion or necessity from within or from without. 2. This leads to the violation of some basic order of existence and the need for expiation for that guilt. The overriding conflict is that of power, honor, and possession as absolute values against love, belonging and community commitments. Shame versus guilt is the tragic dilemma par excellence. 3. All the conflicts express an absoluteness and global nature of all value pursuits by the protagonists which makes them principally irreconcilable; it is the core of hubris and comes closest to what Aristotle refers to asHamartía. This stands in sharpest conflict with nature’s measure and limitations and society’s law and order as mostly represented by the chorus. 4. The wish to violate the most basic limitations and boundaries is rooted in the “mortal wound” or trauma and the desperate search for some healing. This image of the “mortal wound at the core of being” stands for “primary pain”, “primary shame”, and “primary anxiety” as the essence of the tragic dimension of human existence. An analysis of shame is the focus of the second part of the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Psychoanalytic Inquiry is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/07351690.2014.957126 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 27 StartPage: 13 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Tragedy (Trauma) Type: general – SubjectFull: Shame Type: general – SubjectFull: Psychotherapy Type: general – SubjectFull: Pathos Type: general – SubjectFull: Terror Type: general – SubjectFull: Pathological psychology Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Mortal Wound, Shame, and Tragic Search: Reflections on Tragic Experience and Tragic Conflicts in History, Literature, and Psychotherapy. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Wurmser, Léon IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Text: Jan2015 Type: published Y: 2015 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 07351690 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 35 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Psychoanalytic Inquiry Type: main |
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