Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. The Critique of Psychoanalysis 1913-1920. The 1913 General Psychopathology. Jaspers and psychiatry in Heidelberg. Psychopathology at the divide between the natural sciences and the humanities. The 1913 critique of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis as a 'psychology of understanding'. The 1920 critique of psychoanalysis. What remains? Pierre Janet and Freud's 'Studies on Hysteria'. Theory of Neurosis as Cultural Criticism. Practical Critique of Psychoanalysis in the Years 1913-1920. Suggestion and psychoanalytic 'confession'. 'Existential communication' or 'dealing with resistance'. 2. Life conduct in modern times. Max Weber as 'crisis'-indicator.' Disenchantment of the world' and intellectual life conduct. Man in the Modern Age (1931). Diagnosis of modernity between hybris and modesty. 'Philosophical' life conduct in the Protestant 'spirit'. Charismatic traditions - the university and 'life of the home'. Max Weber and life conduct. 3. Critique of psychoanalysis in 1931. Max Weber's 'doctrine of science'. Value-free' science in modern times. Monocausal research and philosophy of history. Karl Jaspers and the 'human sciences'. Critique of ideologies: Marxism, race hygiene and psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis and Otto Gross's 'erotic movement'. 4. Critique of psychoanalysis in 1941. Historical ideotype? Psychoanalysis during National Socialism.'Existential' self-reflection and facultative 'training analysis'. Definitive and instrumental goals of psychotherapy. Praise of psychosomatics. 5. The Founding of the psychosomatic clinic in Heidelberg 1946-1949. Exposé (Denkschrift) on psychosomatic medicine.Von Weizsäcker: 'retribution' and psychoanalysis. Alexander Mitscherlich: syncreticism of psychoanalysis at the 'GöringInstitute'. Dispute between the faculties- '... the cat out of the sack'. Jaspers's advocation of psychoanalysis under the supervision of Mitscherlich. Establishment of a department for general therapy. 6. Critique of psychoanalytic psychosomatics 1949-1953. Psychosomatic provocations. Viktor von Weizsäcker's apology of 'unlived life'. Alexander Mitscherlich: regarding the 'self-concealment of meaning'. Jasper's reactions 1950-1953. American circumstances - Hannah Arendt on psychoanalysis (1). 'Biological' limits of psychosomatic 'salvific doctrines'. Controversy over training analysis. 'Serviceable are those who can be trained.' 'Truthfulness' vis-a-vis one's 'counterpart'. Critique or politics? 7. On the critique of psychoanalysis and society1950-1968. Totalitarianism and 'counter-propaganda' 1950-1954. Psychoanalysis and 'secularization' - Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker contra Jaspers. 'Loss of authority' as the cause of totalitarian dominion. 'Reason and Anti-Reason in Our Time'. 'Cultural freedom' or 'compulsory analysis'?- Hannah Arendt on psychoanalysis (2). Life conduct in the Federal Republic 1964-1968. 'Television university' on psychoanalysis and 'value freedom'. Freud and 'Society without a Father' . Jürgen Habermas' utopia of psychoanalytic 'self-enlightenment'. Summary and Prospective View. Bibliographie.Abbreviations. Unpublished texts. Index.

This award-winning book investigates the critique of psychoanalysis formulated by the psychiatrist and philosopher Karl Jaspers (1883-1969) over some five decades, systematically examining Jasper's arguments against Freud and his followers. The book traces the medico-historical roots of Jasper's criticism of psychoanalysis and places it within the framework of scientific theory before devoting itself extensively to medico-ethical aspects of the controversy, which are ultimately treated in terms of a history of mentalities.