{"title":"Psychoanalytic object relations theory revised: Affect systems and the notion of drives.","authors":"Otto F Kernberg","doi":"10.1080/00207578.2024.2397282","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper explores the concept of drives as basic motivational neurobiological structures determining the organization of psychic life. I express my agreement with Mark Solms' radical reformulation of the general principles organizing human behaviour at the neurobiological and psychodynamic levels, his combination of Friston's computational information theory and Panksepp's affect systems. I agree with him that the affect systems described by Panksepp constitute the primary drives and that the conflicts between affect systems are the origin of unconscious intrapsychic conflict. I disagree with Solms in my proposition that, while the original unconscious conflicts indeed reflect conflicts between antagonistic affects, I believe that the integration of affect systems into internalized object relations determines a significant motivational shift: now unconscious conflicts are between complex organization of idealized and persecutory object relations at oedipal and preoedipal levels, and no longer between affect systems themselves. At the various developmental levels, the integrated fusion of affective components of these conflicts in effect evolves into libido and aggression as supraordinate motivational systems, but they no longer can be considered biological drives.</p>","PeriodicalId":48022,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Psychoanalysis","volume":"105 5","pages":"790-803"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Psychoanalysis","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207578.2024.2397282","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/11/22 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHOANALYSIS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This paper explores the concept of drives as basic motivational neurobiological structures determining the organization of psychic life. I express my agreement with Mark Solms' radical reformulation of the general principles organizing human behaviour at the neurobiological and psychodynamic levels, his combination of Friston's computational information theory and Panksepp's affect systems. I agree with him that the affect systems described by Panksepp constitute the primary drives and that the conflicts between affect systems are the origin of unconscious intrapsychic conflict. I disagree with Solms in my proposition that, while the original unconscious conflicts indeed reflect conflicts between antagonistic affects, I believe that the integration of affect systems into internalized object relations determines a significant motivational shift: now unconscious conflicts are between complex organization of idealized and persecutory object relations at oedipal and preoedipal levels, and no longer between affect systems themselves. At the various developmental levels, the integrated fusion of affective components of these conflicts in effect evolves into libido and aggression as supraordinate motivational systems, but they no longer can be considered biological drives.
期刊介绍:
It is the only psychoanalytic journal regularly publishing extensive contributions by authors throughout the world - facilitated by a system of international editorial boards and the policy of allowing submission and review in all main European languages, followed by translation of accepted papers at the Journal"s expense. We publish contributions on Methodology, Psychoanalytic Theory & Technique, The History of Psychoanalysis, Clinical Contributions, Research and Life-Cycle Development, Education & Professional Issues, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, and Interdisciplinary Studies. The Journal also publishes the main papers and panel reports from the International Psychoanalytical Association"s Congresses, book reviews, obituaries, and correspondence.