Accessible introduction to the work of Christopher Bollas, one of the most eminent psychoanalytic figures in the world. Concludes with a reconsideration of Bollas' concept of the unthought known both in the consulting room and in political and social conflicts in civic life. Examines pivotal concepts in Bollas' metapsychology.

Accessible introduction to the work of Christopher Bollas, one of the most eminent psychoanalytic figures in the world. Concludes with a reconsideration of Bollas' concept of the unthought known both in the consulting room and in political and social conflicts in civic life. Examines pivotal concepts in Bollas' metapsychology.

‘Living with the idea of bearing a death-force fundamentally directed at oneself is hardly easy to admit. It is less so in any case than the idea that we are all murderers, that we are ever ready to plead legitimate defence or the need to survive so as to strike out at another.’ André Green, from the Foreword What drives men to kill and self-destruct? On the Death and Destruction Drives traces the introduction and development of the controversial concept of the “death drive�, from the work of Freud (1920–1938) to the main contributions of classical and post-Freudian authors, including Ferenczi, Klein, Bion, Winnicott, and Lacan. Shedding light on non-neurotic phenomena and structures, such as anorexia, bulimia, depression, suicide, criminal behaviour, André Green offers a new perspective on the relationship between the life drive (Eros) and the death drive (Thanatos). André Green was a key figure in contemporary psychoanalysis, who embraced philosophy and an international outlook to enhance psychoanalytic theory. This book was one of his last works, originally published in French as Pourquoi les pulsions de destruction ou de mort? in 2012. Green’s defence of one of Freud’s most daring revisions of his drive theory remains relevant to psychoanalytic work today, and it is an honour to bring this excellent translation to the English-speaking world. To enhance its worth, the book includes an introduction from translator Steven Jaron to clarify certain technical terms and situate the book within Green’s oeuvre. This book is an important contribution to the development of psychoanalytic theory and essential reading for all trainee and practising psychoanalysts.

The Jewish poet Edmond Jabes, born in Cairo in 1912, characterized his writings as 'not belonging'. Drawing on unpublished archival and rare printed sources, Steven Jaron traces this sense of exile to early beginnings, while Jabes was still living in Egypt. At that time, the young writer, moving in Francophone literary circles close to the Surrealists, felt that he belonged in France. But his expectations of integration remained unfulfilled: on his arrival in Paris in 1957 after the Suez crisis, Jabes was disturbed to find persistent anti-Semitism. This led him to assume what he called his 'Jewish condition', and in his critically acclaimed Livre des Questions cycle (1963-73) the Shoah became a focal point. Jaron examines how Jabes's oeuvre formed a cohesive whole, providing the exile with the homeland he lacked.