Karen Horney on feminine psychology

Abstract

In this series of papers Horney's evolving ideas on feminine psychology are reflected, her differences with Freud are defined and the emergence of her own views on the theory and practice of psychoanalysis are noted. While developing her ideas, those aspects of her holistic philosophy and the positive aspects of her approach to psychoanalysis were present, operating and maturing. Having confronted Freud's male-oriented psychology with her own on so-called female psychology, the way had been prepared for a philosophy, psychology and psychoanalysis of whole persons, living, being and interacting with changing environments which had their impact on them, which they in turn influenced. I feel a study of Horney's papers on feminine psychology is an invitation and an opportunity to accompany a woman of wisdom and experience on a voyage of discovery and creation while searching for better ways to alleviate human suffering. The closing sentence of Neurosis and Human Growth31 fittingly convey the spirit, the method and the efforts displayed in these papers and in her whole life's work: "Albert Schweitzer uses the terms 'optimistic' and 'pessimistic' in the sense of 'world and life affirmation' and 'world and life negation'. Freud's philosophy, in this deep sense, is a pessimistic one. Ours, with all its cognizance of the tragic element in neurosis, is an optimistic one." © 1967 The Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis.