Psychoanalysis of Group

This course takes a psychoanalytic perspective to analyze various social and cultural phenomena, or in other words, it is social psychology from a psychoanalytic approach. This viewpoint is different from the mainstream of social psychology today, which emphasizes empirical or experimental approaches, and instead engages in speculative discussions through theoretical interpretations. The course is designed with a focus on "reading cultural classics," but not just a single classic; it involves selecting multiple classics based on a central theme and reading excerpts from them. Surrounding the theme of "Why did Nazi officers engage in mass extermination?" many intellectuals have attempted to provide explanations. The course organizes various explanatory perspectives to help students develop conceptual thinking and generate thoughtful issues. In addition to psychoanalysis, relevant other theories such as experimental psychology, social philosophy, anthropology, etc., will also be used to contrast and engage in dialogue with psychoanalytic theory. Psychoanalysis is not only concerned with psychopathology but also with social and cultural symptoms and how to alleviate them. Freud's later important works, such as "Civilization and Its Discontents," "Totem and Taboo," "The Future of an Illusion," "Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego," focus on the collective psychological mechanisms of social and cultural phenomena. His successors like Lacan, Kristeva, Fromm, etc., have devoted themselves to developing psychoanalytic discourse on social and cultural aspects. Starting from the contemporary ethical views of psychoanalysis, this course pays attention to and seeks to understand the causes of human atrocities, aiming to prevent ignorance or deliberate repetition of the past. The Nazi holocaust is a unique turning point that casts shadows on human civilization or culture and even leads it into ruins. As Adorno said, "After Auschwitz, to write poetry is barbaric." But before starting afresh, we need to comprehend the various challenges brought about by the holocaust, including the psychological mechanisms of executioners, whether the holocaust is truly over, whether contemporary society is still repeating it, and whether various everyday prejudices and discriminations persist, sparking reflections on daily life. The teaching objectives of this course are as follows: 1. To help students understand the interpretation of social, cultural, historical, and political phenomena by psychoanalytic theory. 2. To cultivate students' ability to use theoretical perspectives to interpret social phenomena. 3. To guide students in thinking about complex ethical issues and practicing dialogue between theories.