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In what area did Horney most strongly disagree with psychoanalysis?

User Jomoos
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Final Answer:

Horney disagreed with psychoanalysis in the area of human motivation and the nature of the self. She believed that psychoanalytic theory placed too much emphasis on childhood experiences and the unconscious mind, and that it ignored the role of conscious thought and intentionality in shaping human behavior.

Step-by-step explanation:

In her book “The Neurotic Personality of Our Time,” Horney critiqued psychoanalytic theory for its focus on the unconscious mind and its reliance on dream interpretation and free association as methods for understanding the self. She argued that these methods were not reliable and could lead to a distorted view of the self and human motivation. Instead, Horney believed that conscious thought and intentionality were essential components of human behavior and that they should be given more attention in the therapeutic process.

Horney also disagreed with Freud’s concept of the “id” and the “superego,” which she believed were overly simplistic and did not accurately reflect the complexity of human psychology. She argued that human behavior is motivated by a range of factors, including conscious desires, needs, and fears, as well as unconscious processes. However, she believed that these unconscious processes should be understood through a more nuanced and multi-faceted approach than the one offered by psychoanalysis.

Overall, Horney’s views on human motivation and the nature of the self represented a significant departure from the traditional psychoanalytic perspective, and her work has had a lasting impact on the field of psychotherapy.

User Asadullah Ali
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