The Last Resistance

Reviews / Votes

"I like the author's impressive conceptual mastery of the recent criticisms of psychoanalysis and the philosophical power and nuance of his response to those criticisms. The book contains the most intelligent philosophical discussion of the writings on psychoanalysis by Popper, Gruenbaum, Webster, Sulloway, and Masson. Bowman also offers a brilliant analysis of Freud's supposed hermeneutic friends, Ricoeur and Lacan. Almost as a bonus, he gives an insightful treatment of Nietzsche's ideal of intention (as it relates to psychoanalysis). The book packs a terrific intellectual punch." - Paul Robinson, Stanford University

"In a sort of tour de force, essay-like, accessible style, Bowman presents his views on the recent and ongoing debate on the 'scientific status' of psychoanalysis. He competently and persuasively takes on the critics of Freud-be they of the positivist camp, Popper, Gruenbaum, Webster, or of the more challenging authors, Lacan or Ricoeur-unearthing some of the underlying motives at work in 'downgrading' psychoanalysis to a 'pseudo-science' (or simply hermeneutics). Flowing from his central and very cogent counter-arguments against Freud's detractors, Bowman moves on to an impassioned plea for 'mental health' as being the task of enhancing a genuine sense of autonomous selfhood, which is being undermined by the anti-Freudians." - Leo Goldberger, coeditor of Ideas and Identities: The Life and Work of Erik Erikson