Abstract

This work demonstrates and develops the systematic coherence of Jean-Paul Sartre's theory of existential psychoanalysis as formulated in Being and Nothingness and in his existential psychoanalytic study, Saint Genet. ;A major problem in Being and Nothingness, which obscures the coherence of the theory of existential psychoanalysis, is Sartre's "Cartesian Legacy." His view of Consciousness as separate from the body and nature, and his view of the Self as existing in isolation from other persons, obscures his vision of man as a unified totality. This work attempts to reestablish Sartre's vision of man's being-in-the-world as a unity of consciousness and the body, of Being and Action, of Self and Other, expressed as a fundamental project of working through issues in one's primary relationships with other persons. ;The work proceeds to clarify Sartre's unique conceptual framework for an existential psychoanalysis, addressing such issues as the interpersonal basis of the Self, the meaning of the individual's fundamental project, and the interpersonal dynamics of good and bad faith. Sartre's conceptual framework is related to Freudian theory, especially on the issues of repression and the unconscious, and to contemporary psychoanalytic interpretations of the Self and the issue of narcissism. These psychoanalytic views are integrated within an existential perspective, including references to Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Hegel and Husserl. ;This work emphasizes the therapeutic implications of Sartre's work. I explore Sartre's therapeutic metaphor of "recovering the child within us" as a project of the recovery of Being, and examine such issues as the integration of consciousness and the body, and the importance of empathy, intuition, and play in the therapeutic relationship. ;Clinical examples from my therapy practice at the Human Effectiveness Institute, of Chicago, are included to illustrate Sartrean themes and issues.