Critique of the Ego

From Historical Materialism to Contemporary Perspectives

Morning Comrades.

To continue with Wednesday’s train of thought I wanted to spend some time on the idea and reality of the Ego, it’s role and the inherent ideas inherent in psychoanalysis as they are relevant to our struggle. Yes, as a person that aims to adhere to materialism to the best of their ability it would appear to be logical to dismiss this field of study but the opposite is true. As mentioned on Wednesday, the material reality is very much based on a constructed identification of individualism and no one should disregard any science, even if at first they appear to have no real connection.

Marxism and Psychoanalysis are systems which, in spite of their different material objects and their different methodological approaches, partially deal with one and the same reality. There exists no social theory which can do without the inquiry into individual and "drive-dynamic" preconditions of collective processes — as there exists no research and therapy of the individual which can wholly disregard the social embedding and dimension of human existence. The relationship between Marxism and Freudianism is not only characterized and encumbered by theoretical differences and convergencies but also by the concurring demand to monopolize the explanation of and rule over men. Yet, as we noted on Wednesday:

“To be radical is to grasp the root of the matter. But for man the root is man himself.”

Karl Marx, Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right

There isa relative new-ish school of revolutionary communist and anarchist thought prevalent here in Europe, specifically in the French and Italian schools, respectively, that deal with the concept of merging psychoanalysis and liberatory struggles but we will forego those for a hard minute. Essentially, whilst they tend to be impressive in their radical direct action approach ( think the Invisible Committee ) the later, respectively, often deal with an obsessive relationship to revolutionary purity and the necessary destruction of one’s own ego before anything happens. So, yeah, that definitely exists and whilst I understand idea behind it I don’t subscribe to it.

Nevertheless, it would be silly to avoid talking about the Ego when debating Individualism and with that, let’s get into.