Psychoanalysis and environmentalism: First thoughts 1

This paper attempts to make a case for an affinity between psychoanalysis and the environmental movement. This is evidenced in particular by the emphasis in both on relatedness. Money-Kyrle's paper, ‘The Aim of Psychoanalysis' is used to emphasise the problems with the recognition of relatedness to our primary objects, and to the natural world. The consequences of such difficulties with recognition are manifest in the external world in continued environmental destruction, and in the internal world in the form of persecutory guilt. It is argued that psychoanalysis can help promote the necessary move into recognition of our relationship to the natural world, which is a narcissistic blow and involves mourning.