Freud's view of death and repetition as grounds of a Kleinian approach to narcissism: Implications for clinical practice

Abstract

Central to a Kleinian view of the person and the analytic process is the notion that narcissism is mainly pathological, involving the denial of the object, of his existence as independent of oneself or of his having value. The author will argue that the study of how this view is grounded in Freud's thinking, especially his thinking on the death instinct, and particularly in his Beyond the Pleasure Principle, deepens the understanding of this Kleinian view and points to its complexity. Also, through this study what essentially characterizes Kleinian practice, distinguishing it from other kinds of analytic practice is highlighted and Freud's ongoing relevance and contribution to contemporary Kleinian practice is made apparent.