Rousseau’s Understanding of Compassion: Contemporary Psychoanalytic Perspectives

Abstract

Članak analizira Rousseauovu upotrebu pojmova ljubavi prema sebi (sebeljublja), samilosti i samoljublja te njihov odnos prema modernim psihoanalitičkim pojmovima. Ljubav prema sebi dovodi se u vezu s Freudovim pojmom samoočuvanja; samoljublje je povezano s narcističkom veličajnošću i bahatošću, dok samilost ukazuje na sličnost s modernim konceptom empatije. Rousseauovo razlikovanje između navedena tri pojma u skladu je s temeljnom rasprom u psihoanalitičkoj teoriji: onoj između nagonskih i objektnih (relacionalnih) teorija. Rousseauova misao može se, predpsihoanalitički, protumačiti u smislu obuhvaćanja obiju strana: njegovo naglašavanje ljubavi prema sebi blisko je nagonskom individualizmu, dok bi samilost bila oblik objektnog odnosa. U konačnici, Rousseauov pojam ljubav prema sebi preklapa se s Kohutovim pojmom zdravog narcizma koji je središnji za razvoj ličnosti, budući da je odsutnost zdravog narcizma podjednako problematična kao i bilo koji patološki oblik narcizma (veličajni ili idealizirajući narcizam).The paper analyses Rousseau’s use of the concepts of self-love, pity (compassion) and vanity, and their relation to modern psychoanalytic concepts. Self-love is brought into relation with Freud’s self-preservation; vanity is coupled with narcissistic grandiosity and arrogance, while pity (compassion) bears resemblances to the modern concept of empathy. Rousseau’s distinction between the three resonates well with the main controversy within psychoanalytic theory: the one between drive theories and object (relational) theories. Rousseau’s thought can be interpreted as embracing both sides avant la lettre: his emphasizing of self-love is close to instinctual individualism, while pity would be a form of objectal relations. In final analysis, Rousseau’s self-love overlaps with Kohut’s concept of healthy narcissism which is central to the development of personality, as the absence of healthy narcissism is equally problematic as any pathological form of narcissism (idealizing or grandiose narcissism)