John Forrester (1) (1949–2015)
Author of Dispatches from the Freud Wars: Psychoanalysis and Its Passions
For other authors named John Forrester, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
John Forrester was born in London, England on August 25, 1949. He graduated from King's College, Cambridge University with a degree in natural sciences. A Fulbright scholarship took him to Princeton University and work with Thomas Kuhn. He was a professor in the department of history and philosophy show more of science at Cambridge University. He was a historian and philosopher who wrote extensively on Freud and psychoanalysis. His works included Language and the Origins of Psychoanalysis, Freud's Women, and Truth Games: Lies, Money and Psychoanalysis. He died from cancer on November 24, 2015 at the age of 66. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Works by John Forrester
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1949-08-25
- Date of death
- 2015-11-24
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK
- Education
- Haberdashers' Aske's School
University of Cambridge (King's College)
Princeton University - Occupations
- Professor
Head of Department of History and Philosophy of Science - Relationships
- Appignanesi, Lisa (partner)
- Organizations
- University of Cambridge
Members
Reviews
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 8
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 124
- Popularity
- #161,165
- Rating
- 3.5
- Reviews
- 1
- ISBNs
- 53
- Languages
- 5
The section on Freud contains Forrester's reflections on the case of Anna O. (Ch.1), an examination of the relationship between psychoanalysis and medicine (Ch.2), a discussion of the case of Dora (Ch.3), an analysis of the differences between rape and seduction (Ch.4), and a brief chapter on self-fulfilling prophecies (Ch.5).
Forrester worked on the translations of Lacan's Seminar I and II, and he draws on that experience for this section of the book. Echoing Kojève, he provides the reader with a long history and explanation of Lacan's main ideas, with a special focus on the first two seminars (Ch.6). That is followed by a long discussion of Lacan's ideas about language in comparison with J.L. Austin (Ch.7) and a chapter on the notion of time (Ch.8).
The final part of the book claims to focus on Derrida, but in fact this is true only of Ch.9, in which Forrester examines the interplay between Derrida and psychoanalysis. Ch.10 is a rather brief and bizarre discussion of gossip and psychoanalysis, while Ch.11 diverges still further from previous themes by reading Dostoevsky's novel The Gambler in light of the notion of transference. The book closes (Ch.12) with a meditation on Foucault's relationship to psychoanalysis, undoubtedly the most interesting part of the book, and yet apparently tangential to its project.
I wonder if Forrester's book (and Bowie's, too) are marked by an anxiety that their readers will struggle to deal with the Lacanian concepts they are putting forward - both texts, after all, provide a lengthy overview of Lacan's work that seems completely redundant to today's reader. The work that results is scholarly and learned, but it lacks a certain edge that, especially now that the period of high theory has passed, makes it look decidedly mediocre.… (more)