
Perversions
A Contemporary Introduction
Sergio Benvenuto(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 20. October 2026
Book
Hardback
136 pages
978-1-032-87201-8 (ISBN)
Description
Perversions: A Contemporary Introduction offers a comprehensive exploration of psychoanalytic theories of perversion, tracing their evolution from Freud through contemporary practice with particular emphasis on Lacanian perspectives and modern understandings of sexuality and gender.
This book provides readers with a thorough understanding of how psychoanalytic thinking on perversions has evolved and modernised. Drawing on decades of clinical expertise, Sergio Benvenuto examines both sadism and masochism while contextualising paraphilias within contemporary cultural and ethical frameworks. Readers will gain practical clinical strategies alongside rigorous theoretical analysis, moving beyond pathologising approaches to embrace nuanced perspectives on behaviours previously considered perverse. The work bridges historical psychoanalytic thought with current clinical applications, offering vital insights for contemporary practice.
Part of the Routledge Introductions to Contemporary Psychanalysis series, this fascinating volume is designed for psychoanalysts in training and practice, as well as psychiatrists seeking deeper theoretical grounding. Students and researchers in psychiatry, sociology, sexology, philosophy and Gender Studies will find valuable interdisciplinary perspectives and sophisticated understanding of perversion theory and its application in modern therapeutic contexts, making this an indispensable resource for both academic study and clinical practice.
This book provides readers with a thorough understanding of how psychoanalytic thinking on perversions has evolved and modernised. Drawing on decades of clinical expertise, Sergio Benvenuto examines both sadism and masochism while contextualising paraphilias within contemporary cultural and ethical frameworks. Readers will gain practical clinical strategies alongside rigorous theoretical analysis, moving beyond pathologising approaches to embrace nuanced perspectives on behaviours previously considered perverse. The work bridges historical psychoanalytic thought with current clinical applications, offering vital insights for contemporary practice.
Part of the Routledge Introductions to Contemporary Psychanalysis series, this fascinating volume is designed for psychoanalysts in training and practice, as well as psychiatrists seeking deeper theoretical grounding. Students and researchers in psychiatry, sociology, sexology, philosophy and Gender Studies will find valuable interdisciplinary perspectives and sophisticated understanding of perversion theory and its application in modern therapeutic contexts, making this an indispensable resource for both academic study and clinical practice.
Reviews / Votes
'In this remarkable work, the author explores ways of conceiving perversions beyond any moral framework. He portrays them as the instrumentalization of another's subjectivity, serving the boundless pleasure of a self at once devastating and devastated.'Elisabeth Roudinesco, Historian (HDR. Universite de ParisVII-Diderot), Teacher at the Ecole normale superieure in Paris, President of Societe internationale d'histoire de la psychiatrie et de la psychanalyse, Honorary Committee Member of the International Sandor Ferenczi Network.
'This fast and furious book turns psychoanalysis inside out by rethinking the so-called perversions. Aristotle, Freud, Lacan, Stoller, Ferenczi, Butler, Sade, Sacher-Masoch and others are brought into dialogue with case studies that are as gripping as they are unsettling. Bold, provocative, and often controversial, it confronts its subject matter with unflinching intensity.'
Patricia Gherovici, Psychoanalyst, professor at the Pulsion Institute, New York
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Postgraduate and Professional Practice & Development
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Weight
453 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-87201-8 (9781032872018)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
approx. 10/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€25.00
Not yet published
Person
Sergio Benvenuto is a psychoanalyst and researcher in psychology and philosophy at the National Scientific Research Council (CNR) in Rome, Italy. He teaches psychoanalysis at the International Institute of the Psychology of Depth in Kiev, Ukraine, and at the Institute Pulsion in New York. He is the author of Lacan, Kris and the Psychoanalytic Legacy: The Brain Eater (2023), Conversations with Lacan: Seven Lectures for Understanding Lacan (2019) and What are Perversions?: Sexuality, Ethics, Psychoanalysis (2016).
Content
1. What are Perversions? 2. The Sadist's (In)justice 3. The Masochist's Strategy 4. A Case of Masochism. Lorenzo's Impossible Wife 5. Cross-Dresser, Trans Person, Transexual. 6. Paedophilia