The Later Freudian Structural Theory and Analysis of the Ego

The development of the years 1920 to 1936 may be described in the words of the title of Franz Alexander&s;s book of the same period, The Psycho-Analysis of the Total Personality (1930). A psychodynamic theory of the whole personality was what Freud aimed to provide in his theory of the id, ego and super-ego. Fairbairn maintains that in fact he imposed a new ego-psychology upon an earlier instinct- and impulse-psychology with which it was incompatible. In The Ego and The Id (1923a), however, Freud sought to marry his new ego-analysis to his earlier instinct-theory. Wilhelm Reich dealt with neurotic character traits as forming a compact defence mechanism against both the outer world and the pressure of internal libidinal needs. Winnicott has not suggested that his views imply a revision of the orthodox scheme of psychic structure.