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...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
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 |
_version_ | 1818972379766849536 |
---|---|
author | Frans Schalkwijk |
author_facet | Frans Schalkwijk |
author_sort | Frans Schalkwijk |
collection | DOAJ |
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. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-20T15:07:20Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-1a062833fa6d4b499e9e8c18526774af |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1664-1078 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-20T15:07:20Z |
publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
record_format | Article |
series | Frontiers in Psychology |
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 AT fransschalkwijk newconceptualizationoftheconscience |