Melanie Klein vs Karen Horney - Research Paper Example

? Melanie Klein vs. Karen Horney 18-03 Melanie Klein vs. Karen Horney The paper provides a comparision between two of world’s most renowned female psychologists; Melanie Klein and Karen Horney. This research paper provides an in depth analysis on the effects of environment, moral development, sources of inspiration, and the sources of motivation which shaped two major psychologists of indisputable worth and popularity. Introduction: The psychoanalytic ideas of Klein and Horney occupy a central position in today’s world of dynamic psychotherapy. Melanie Klein and Karen Horney possessed the passion and determination typical of those who have the courage to dedicate their lives in order to explore the unknown. Both female psychologists propagated the establishment of new knowledge which served to influence and reshape classical rationality by encompassing the imagination in an effort to strengthen the bond between two individuals. The biographer, Jack Rubins (1978), extensively interviewed individuals close to Horney and concluded that she was a person who possessed a complex personality. In the biography, Rubins describes Horney as being a highly charismatic woman who struggled throughout her life to encompass and unify diverse and conflicting traits. Another Biographer, Susan Quinn describes Horney in “A Mind of Her Own” (1987) as a woman with remarkable character who had the independence of mind and spirit as her greatest strength. Horney was known to consistently utilize her own personal experience to express views on reality and validity of behavioral patterns. (Solomon 2006). Melanie Klein achieved international fame as a founder of child analysis in the late 1950s. She is also designated as a reformer in the wake of Freud and an adult psychoanalyist. Melanie Klein stated the following words in her book “Envy and Gratitude”: “My work has taught me that the first object to be envied is the feeding breast, for the infant feels that it possesses every thing he desires and that it has an unlimited flow of milk, and love which the breast keeps for its own gratification.” (Kristeva et al 2001, pg 6). Melanie Klein became world famous for her ingeniously practiced psychoanalysis. She is one of the few contemporaries of Freud and she worshipped Freud to the point of dogmatic fanaticism. Melanie Klein is considered as an original innovator of psychoanalytic arena. Malenie skillfully utilized the fundamental principles of Freudianism to establish a new approach pertaining to the theory and practice of the unconscious. This aspect is what distinguishes the acheivements of Melanie from that of Jung and other “dissidents”. Despite painful controversies, Klein’s clinical and theoretical text has inspired productive work which is still practiced extensively throughout the world particularly in Great Britain. If it weren’t for Klein’s innovation and energetic creativity, the clinical practices pertaining to children, psychosis and autism would never have flourished the way it has. The journey of Melanie as a mother of child analysis and an original innovator of psychoanalytic arena is not only inspiring but is as treacherous as a flundering sea of fear and loneliness. Melanie did not possess an advanced degree nor did she have a former medical education and despite being a depressed mother and an unhappy wife she utilized her sheer determination and completed her first study on the psychanalysis of young children in1919. (Kristeva et al 2001). The major source of inspiration and moral development for Melanie Klein was her mother and the scholarly atmosphere of the Duetsch family. Klein deeply admired her father’s independent thinking and his command of ten languages. Probably the reason why Melanie became the mother of child analysis was the treatment she received as a child. She was treated as a princess and was much pampered during her childhood. Karen Horney was born in the year 1885 in a suburb of Hamburg, Germany. Captain Danielson was Karen’s father, who worked as a commodore with the Hamburg-American shipping line. Karen’s mother Clotilde Van Ronzelen was Captein Danielson’s second wife. Karen’s father was a fundamentalist and a strict, stern father. Karen had spent her childhood watching the vile temper of her father and had witnessed his savageness countless times. Captain Danielson was a religious man due to which he favoured his son Berndt over Karen. On the other hand, Karen’s mother sonni was an educated woman and treated her children fairly and primarily it was this very reason why Karen was more close to her mother. Sonni was a sober woman who was more tolerant than her husband and possessed a calm, fogiving nature. Karen possessed ambivalent feelings for her father she admired his love for life while on the other hand she feared his volatile temperament and aggressiveness. When Karen was 20 years old, her mother was forced to divorce Captein Danielson due to the marital tesion fostered because of his irascible temper and stern demandingness. (Solomon 2006). At school, Karen excelled at learning and exhibited high intellectual skills. Moreover, she was a goal oriented individual with an energetic imagination. Karen enjoyed the exilerating and liberating environment of the medical college she attended. Her insatiable desire to learn added fuel to her success and she achieved her medical degree in 1913. Karen met Oskar Horney while she was in medical school and later married him. Oskar Horney achieved a Pd.D. in law, economics, and political science. Oskar earned an executive position with a prestigious organization and excelled financially till the inflation of 1933 broke his firm apart. Later on, Karen separated from Oskar because he lacked the elemental passing she worshipped. Oskar lacked strength and pride which ironically were Karen’s strongest strength and this merely served to widen the rift between them. The lack of her father’s support during her childhood had instilled in her a craving for a strong man and Oskar was anything but strong. Karen took her three children and settled in another apartment. (Solomon 2006). Discussion: Melanie Klein and Karen Horney grew up in entirely different circumstances and their childhood and late teenage years have few aspects in common. For Melanie, her depressed years as a mother and wife served as an inspiration to follow the principles laid down by Freud. On the other hand, Karen had a satisfying childhood and her source of inspiration was her ambivalent feelings towards her father. Karen received her medical education while Melanie analysed her own children in an effort to develop child analysis skills. At the age of forty, Melanie became a psychoanalyst by analysing her own children. In 1932, Klein published her famously acclaimed collection of essays under the title of “The Psychoanalysis of Children” and rose to meteoric fame. Melanie had her own set of disputes with Anna Freud and Freud but none could taint her glory as the mother of child analysis. The Great Controversial Discussions of the British Psycho-Analytical Society between 1941 and 1944 were fueled by Melanie’s findings pertaining to young children, which clearly contrasted with Freud’s. On the other hand, Karen Horney is regarded as one of the first analysts to challenge basic Freudism assertions pertaining to psychoanalytic accounts on female development. Karen Honey targeted the classical Freudian theory pertaining to the development of female inadequency which stated that women are prone to developing inadequacy because they lack a penis. Horney argued that though it is a fact that certain women have expressed their desire to possess a penis but their wish is not instilled by the feeling of being castrated individuals. While in accordance with Freudian theory, the female desire to have a penis is instilled by a feeling of inadequacy. Furthermore, Karen stated that the devaluation of women has stemmed from the classical psychoanalytic perception of women’s masculanity complex which has been a result of male dominated culture. Karen further stated that men boost about having a penis in an effort to reduce their inadequacy which has stemmed from their lack of ability to give birth to a child. Melanie Klein questioned the fundamental principles of Sigmund Freud pertaining to young children, while Karen Horney questioned the fundamental principles pertaining to female development. Karen Horney challenged the biological, psychosexual premise of the fundamental Freudian psychoanalysis principles. Karen viewed behavior as an outcome of cultural distinctions and values. Furthermore, she considered behavior to have a strong correlation with the characteristics of masculine dominated society and these views clearly conflict with the findings of Freud. During the time Karen rose to meteoric success, the prevalent veiw pertaining to female psychology was that women were inherently more masochistic than men and this view was extensively criticised by Karen in her work. Karen rejected the prevalent perspective that women were more prone to self destructive behavior because of their emotional weakness as compared to men and considered it to be nothing more than a cultural ideology. Horney had experienced both the American and European culture and probably this was the major reason which gave her a clearer perspective and motivated her to reject the basic Freudian instinct theory. The Freudian mandate regarding the interpretation of a patient’s present behavior in terms of past experiences were also criticised by Karen. She considered present behavior as an outcome of character trends. Horney regarded aggression as a way of assertion and claimed that overall behavior was not related to sex. The challenges posed by Karen to Freudian dictum alienated her and other psychoanalysists who favoured freedom of expression and did not regard psychoanalytic thought as a completed body of knowledge. She along with her colleagues was forced to resign from the New York Psychoanalytic institute. Melanie was a faithful adherent to Freudism even though she did question some of the Freudal principles pertaining to the analysis of young children. The major divergences of Klein from Freud have been well documented and have never been considered or styled as true rejection. Most pshychoanalyists consider her views and ideas as a way which attempts to complete Freud’s theory of the unconscious. The Freud’s theory of unconscious is based on a framework of desire and repression, while the findings of Melanie Klein are focused on the psychic pain experienced by the newborn during the splitting process and also on the ability of the new born to acquire a state of sublimation. The Freudian theory has an aim and a source but it does not have an object, while Melanie Klein’s veiws have an object (breast or the mother) which serves as a driving force for the new born and attempts to form a bond between the object and the infant. Melanie is the innovator of “object-mother” theory and her sole inspiration was her own mother, Libussa Deutsch. Melanie Klein is regarded as a major contributor in the development of “object-relation” theory and she is also designated as the founder of a highly influential training program in psychoanalysis. Melanie Klein was a pioneer in the utilization of psychoanalytic techniques for yooung children which allowed the world to see deep seated mechanisms pertaining modern day life threatening issues. Melanie Klein achieved what Freud couldnot because Freud’s findings about young children were basically developed by examing adult pateints while on the other hand; Klein devised her analytic techniques by working directly with young children. Klein’s work related to drive towards dealth incorporates Freud’s belief pertaining to “dealth instinct”. Klein together with Freud considered the life instinct coupled with the dealth instinct to be the foundation of the human psyche. Conclusion: Melanie Klein and Karen Horney have an indisputable worth in the psychoanalytic arena. Both achieved what other dissidents could not. The vision that emerged from Melanie’s work shaped child psychoanalytical techniques, while on the other hand Klein’s work served to define the principles of female development. Her traumatic married life and the dealth of her son fueled her interest in psychoanalytic work. On the other hand, Horney was influenced to be an advocator for females due to her father’s attitude towards females. Melanie Klein achieved a lot throughout her life; she laid the founation of a theoretical school, served as an innovator of psychoanalytic treatment for young children. (Likierman 2001). Among her other achievments was the fact that she was an inspiration for other British psychologists and served as a pioneer in the development of psycholoanalytic work pertaining to individuals suffering from psychotic and borderline conditions. Melanie studied young individuals and deduced that infants are extremely sensitive to the surrounding human environment. She claimed that infants are particularly very sensitive to maternal emotions. In accordance with the various studies she conducted it is easy to reflect that the way an individual is treated as a child mediates a crucial role in the development of mental health. Such beliefs did not exist before Melanie published her collective essays; therefore, she introduced the world to things that were being taken for granted. The object relation theory of mind was established and introduced by Klein. The first fully interpersonal model of early psychical life was established by Klein. Therefore, it is evident that before Klein fully developed theories on the nature of children did not exist. Klein produced her major work from 1921 till 1957 and the principles of Freud served as a foundation for her work. Klein was a Neo Freudist and stated that the behavior of children is depended upon the behavioral characteristics of the adults surrounding them. Klein displed the notion of childhood innocence and enabled the world to focus on the vunerable predicament of a child. Apart from focusing on childhood behavioral aspects, Klein also produced work on archaic underpinings of adult mental functioning. She also conducted extensive studies on primitive psychical activity. Karen Horney was a German-American psychoanalyst who is known for questioning certain theories of Freud, particularly his theory regarding female development or the thoery of sexuality. Among her numerous achievements is the fact that she was the first individual who wrote extensively about narcissism. She used the term “the pride system” to address narcissism. In her work, Horney questioned Freud’s instinct orientation of psychoanalysis. Horney viewed neurosis differently from what it was perceived as during her time. Horney claimed that parental indifference towards children plays an important role in understanding the neurosis of a particular patient. Freud considered narcissism to be an inherent characteristic in human nature while on the other hand; Horney considered narcissism to a culminating result of an event that might have been experienced by the individual during his childhood. The Neo Freudism discipline was formulated by Horney in collaboration with some other psychoanalysts. (Berger 1994). Melanie Klein and Karen Horney possessed different backgrounds and served different roles in psychoanalysis. Klein was a thorough follower of Freud while Horney challenged some major principles of Freud. Both had different sources of motivation and inspirations but they had a certain factor in common which was that they both dispelled the notion that Psychoanlytic theories were a completed body and instilled the desire in fellow colleagues to pursue further research in an effort to revise existing theories. References: Solomon, I. (2006). Karen Horney & character disorder: A guide for the modern practitioner. New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co. Kristeva, J. (2001). Melanie Klein. New York: Columbia University Press. Likierman, M. (2001). Melanie Klein: Her work in context. London: Continuum. Berger, M. M. (1994). Women beyond Freud: New concepts of feminine psychology. New York: Brunner/Mazel Publishers. Read More