A New Conceptualization of the Conscience

With the transition from a one-person psychology of instinctual needs to a two-person psychology of relational needs, the metapsychological focus tends to shift from instinct theory to emotion motivation and systems theory, and, accordingly, familiar concepts have to be rethought. In this article, t...

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Main Author: Frans Schalkwijk
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2018-10-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01863/full
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author Frans Schalkwijk
author_facet Frans Schalkwijk
author_sort Frans Schalkwijk
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description With the transition from a one-person psychology of instinctual needs to a two-person psychology of relational needs, the metapsychological focus tends to shift from instinct theory to emotion motivation and systems theory, and, accordingly, familiar concepts have to be rethought. In this article, the superego is reconceptualized as a psychic regulation system for self-evaluation, comprising the capacity for empathy, the proneness to experience self-conscious emotions, such as shame, pride, and guilt, and the capacity for moral reasoning. This new conceptualization provides useful tools for addressing the actual functioning of the conscience in clinical psychoanalysis. Affective neuropsychoanalysis can make important contributions to this rethinking of the superego. It also brings clinical practice and psychoanalytic metapsychology closer to empirical research beyond the scope of clinical psychoanalysis. The new model offers ample opportunities for integrating affective neuroscience into the functioning of the conscience.
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spelling doaj.art-1a062833fa6d4b499e9e8c18526774af2022-12-21T19:36:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782018-10-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.01863383882A New Conceptualization of the ConscienceFrans SchalkwijkWith the transition from a one-person psychology of instinctual needs to a two-person psychology of relational needs, the metapsychological focus tends to shift from instinct theory to emotion motivation and systems theory, and, accordingly, familiar concepts have to be rethought. In this article, the superego is reconceptualized as a psychic regulation system for self-evaluation, comprising the capacity for empathy, the proneness to experience self-conscious emotions, such as shame, pride, and guilt, and the capacity for moral reasoning. This new conceptualization provides useful tools for addressing the actual functioning of the conscience in clinical psychoanalysis. Affective neuropsychoanalysis can make important contributions to this rethinking of the superego. It also brings clinical practice and psychoanalytic metapsychology closer to empirical research beyond the scope of clinical psychoanalysis. The new model offers ample opportunities for integrating affective neuroscience into the functioning of the conscience.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01863/fullconscienceempathyguiltshamemoralitysuperego
spellingShingle Frans Schalkwijk
A New Conceptualization of the Conscience
Frontiers in Psychology
conscience
empathy
guilt
shame
morality
superego
title A New Conceptualization of the Conscience
title_full A New Conceptualization of the Conscience
title_fullStr A New Conceptualization of the Conscience
title_full_unstemmed A New Conceptualization of the Conscience
title_short A New Conceptualization of the Conscience
title_sort new conceptualization of the conscience
topic conscience
empathy
guilt
shame
morality
superego
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01863/full
work_keys_str_mv AT fransschalkwijk anewconceptualizationoftheconscience
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