LLP 2026 – Knowledge and its Pretenders

Organised by:

David Bell

Description

Dr David Bell has taught at The Tavistock Clinic London and The British Psychoanalytic Society for over 25 years.

This new online course is closely related to the publication, in November, of a two volume work “Knowledge and its Pretenders: perspectives on Freud and Klein”

The lectures will provide an opportunity to study psychoanalysis from a broad perspective. Like previous courses, these lectures are aimed at two kinds of student: those who have limited prior knowledge of psychoanalysis and those who have studied psychoanalysis (including those who have completed trainings) but would like to engage in interdisciplinary study.

You do not need to have attended the other courses in order to join this course.

Course Information
The course will begin by situating psychoanalysis broadly in the history of ideas. After consideration of some broad epistemological issues, we will move on to discuss some key Freud and Klein texts/concepts. The relation of psychoanalysis to culture, literature and socio-political theory will remain a theme throughout the lectures.

Weekly Lecture Topics
– Freud in our time: Psychoanalysis, tragedy, and modernity
– Psychoanalysis: some epistemological considerations
– A new way of listening: Freud’s papers on technique
– The world as it is versus the world as I would like it to be: on Freud’s “Formulations on the two principles of mental functioning”
– I am the spirit that negates all: Reflections on Freud’s death drive
– Introduction to the work of Melanie Klein
– Unconscious phantasy: historical and conceptual perspectives
– Knowledge and its Pretenders
– General discussion

Please follow the link for more information.

Book tickets