Am J Psychiatry 1981; 138:575-583
Copyright © 1981 by American Psychiatric Association
Reinstatement of the concept of the unconscious in the Soviet Union
L Chertok
The author reports on a symposium on the concept of the unconscious held in
Tbilisi, U.S.S.R., in October 1979 to which Western scientists, including
psychoanalysts, were invited. He provides a brief historical review of
Soviet psychology, then describes the more recent emergence of two distinct
groups--"psychologists" and "antipsychologists." The "psychologists" are
aware of the need for improved understanding of unconscious motivations;
the "antipsychologists" maintain the physiology-oriented tradition of
Pavlov. The author contrasts current Soviet views of the unconscious with
those of Freud and his followers and provides an up-to-date report on
current Soviet attitudes through January 1981.
