Freud: psychologist and philosopher Start date 12 July 2013 End date 14 July 2013 Venue Madingley Hall Madingley Cambridge Tutor James Giles, BA, MA, PhD Course code 1213NRX165 Director of Programmes Dr Tim London For further information on this course, please contact To book See: www.ice.cam.ac.uk or telephone 01223 746262 Linda Fisher, Academic Programme Manager on 01223 746218 Sandy Haylock, Programme Administrator on 01223 746227 Tutor biography James Giles studied at the University of British Columbia and the University of Edinburgh. He has taught at La Trobe University, Australia, the University of Guam, the University of Copenhagen, Roskilde University, Aalborg University, Hawaii College of Kansai Gaidai University, Japan, the University of Edinburgh, and in Social Anthropology and Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. The overarching purpose of his work is to create a philosophical psychology that explains the core features of the human condition. The unifying theme in his work is the fundamental role that human awareness, in its diverse modes, plays in that condition. Among his writings are The Nature of Sexual Desire, No Self to be Found: The Search for Personal Identity, A Study in Phenomenalism, and The Shell of When (a poetry collection). He is editor of Kierkegaard and Japanese Thought, Kierkegaard and Freedom, and French Existentialism: Consciousness, Ethics, and Relations with Others, and is on the Editorial Board of Personal Relationships, the journal of the International Association for Relationship Research. He is currently working on two books: one on the psychology of infancy and one on Taoist philosophy. Dr Giles teaches through a combination of lectures and class discussion. His courses are frequently historically based, but always with the primary focus of having students arrive at a philosophical understanding of the subject. For more information visit www.james-giles.com University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education, Madingley Hall, Cambridge, CB23 8AQ www.ice.cam.ac.uk
Course Programme: Friday 12 July 2013 Please plan to arrive between 16:30 and 18:30. You can meet other course members in the bar which opens at 18:15. Tea and Coffee making facilities are available in the study bedrooms. 19:00 Dinner 20:30 22:00 Psychological problems and the idea of the unconscious 22:00 Terrace bar open for informal discussion Saturday 13 July 2013 08:00 Breakfast 09:00 10:30 Dreams and the mind 10:30 Coffee 11:00 12:30 The case of Dora 13:00 Lunch 14:00 Free 16:00 Tea 16:30 18:00 Film Freud 19:00 Dinner 20:30 22:00 Sexuality and sexual development 22:00 Terrace bar open for informal discussion Sunday 14 July 2013 08:00 Breakfast 09:00 10:30 The psychology of love 10:30 Coffee 11:00 12:30 Religion: the future of an illusion 12:45 Lunch The course will disperse after lunch (Please note the list of topics is tentative)
Course syllabus Aims: 1. to appreciate the nature of Freud s thought; 2. to philosophically evaluate Freudian ideas; 3. to enable students to see a relation between Freud s thinking and their own psychological and philosophical concerns. Content: Freud is a major intellectual figure whose influence cuts across disciplines: from philosophy to psychology, psychiatry, anthropology, religious studies, and literature his influence has made its mark on how we understand ourselves. Yet for all this he is a writer whose ideas are often known only through secondary sources or even through hear-say. For this reason he is often misunderstood. In this subject we will go directly to the writings of Freud himself. There we will accompany him on his journey from the first studies of the unconscious, through the theory of dreams, the structure and development of the mind, to his ideas about sexuality and love, his psychological analysis of religion, and to his philosophical speculations about the nature of the human condition. It is hoped that students will come away from this course with a fuller understanding of one of the modern era s most important thinkers. Although this subject is philosophical, because of the nature of Freud s work, it will necessarily involve us in the other disciplines just mentioned. Presentation of the course: The course will consist of lectures, a film, and tutor-led discussions. The discussions will be an important part of the learning experience and students should come expecting to participate. Students will also write a short essay. Although the essay is a form of (informal) evaluation, it is also an invaluable tool in helping students to reflect over and organize what they have learned in the lectures and discussion. One is often not fully aware of one s ideas on a topic until one has tried to integrate them into a unified written or oral presentation. Thus, writing or presenting their response to the lectures and discussions enables students to deepen and consolidate their learning on the course. Outcomes: As a result of the course, within the constraints of the time available, students should be able to: 1. understand the basic ideas behind Freud s psychology and philosophy; 2. appreciate the significance of the topics with which Freud is concerned; 3. develop their own philosophical and psychological perspective on the topics discussed.
Reading and resources list Listed below are a number of texts that might be of interest for future reference, but do not need to be bought (or consulted) for the course. The works by Freud given below are all from volumes in The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, are available in paperback from Vintage Classics, and can be ordered on amazon.co.uk or from your bookseller (other editions are also available). The two most important volumes for this course are volumes 7 and 11. Author Title Publisher and date Sigmund Freud Five lectures on psycho-analysis (in vol. 11) Vintage Classics 2001 ISBN 978-0099426646 Sigmund Freud On dreams (in vol. 5) Vintage Classics 2001 ISBN978-0099426561 Sigmund Freud Fragment of an analysis of a case of hysteria (in vol. 7) Vintage Classics 2001 ISBN 978-0099426585 Sigmund Freud Three essays on sexuality (in vol. 7) Vintage Classics 2001 ISBN 978-0099426585 Sigmund Freud The future of an illusion (in vol. 21) Vintage Classics 2001 ISBN 978-0099426769 Anthony Storr Freud: a very short introduction Oxford Univ. Press 2001 David Levy Freud among the philosophers: the psychoanalytic unconscious and its philosophical critics Yale Univ. Press 1996 David Livingston Smith Freud s philosophy of the unconscious Kluwer 1999 John Lear Freud Routledge 2005 Frank Cioffi Freud and the question of pseudoscience Open Court 1998 Fredric Larry Weiss Freud: knowing and not wanting to know St Martin s Press 1990 Erich Fromm Website Addresses The greatness and limitations of Freud s thought Abacus 1982 http://www.biography.com/people/sigmund-freud-9302400 Note Students of the Institute of Continuing Education are entitled to 20% discount on books published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) which are purchased at the Press bookshop, 1 Trinity Street, Cambridge (Mon-Sat 9am 5:30pm, Sun 11am 5pm). A letter or email confirming acceptance on to a current Institute course should be taken as evidence of enrolment.
Information correct as of April 2013