Franz Alexander's Research On Psychoanalysis

Franz Alexander (1891-1964) was a Hungarian psychoanalyst and psychosomatic medicine specialist. He has made a significant contribution to the psychoanalytic theory, clinical technologies and application area of psychoanalysis. In terms of theory, on the basis of following, absorbing and making an doubt of Freud's theory, Alexander developed the theory of instinct, the theory of ego and personality theory, on the one hand, he gradually moved away from the original libido theory, insteaded of promoting surplus energy theory, on the another hand,he gradually substitute more concrete, more dynamic concepts-ego functions for Freud's structural abstractions, in terms of personality theory, he stressed social and cultural factors on personality development. In the latter of his psychoanalytic career, Alexander has been interested in applying psychoanalytic understanding to the elucidation of social, and political phenomena From a psychoanalytic perspective he has explored the impact of emotional problems of social structure.Alexander devoted all his life to explore the psychoanalytic skills and the clinical practices and its applications. He developed his own views on psychopathology, emphasized that neurosis sets in when heredity and infantile experience combine in conflict with the environment. In terms of therapy, he stressed the relationship between patient and therapist, directed interest in non-verbal cues, made an attempt to short-term psychotherapy, he brought up a new kind of psychoanalytic technology, namely corrective emotional experience, emphasized learning and working factors were important part of the therapy process, and emphasized that corrective experience was essential factor of therapy. Furthermore, Alexander expanded the range of psychoanalysis into other areas, he explains psychosomatic diseases, crime and other phenomena from the perspective of psychoanalysis.Alexander's main contributions is having revised and deepened the early psychoanalytic theory, developed his own social and political theory, and put forward new principles and new technologies in psychoanalytic treatment, the main limitations consist in having not got rid of Freud's theory of biological view, not formed his own theoretical system, and didn't provide effective theory of social reform. Furthermore, in addition to made important contributions to the field of psychoanalysis, Alexander also had a significant influence on medicine, criminology and other fields.