London Lectures on Psychoanalysis, Series 4

Psychoanalysis | Culture | Politics | Literature

"The poets and philosophers before me discovered the unconscious." -Sigmund Freud

This new course will explore the relationship between psychoanalysis, culture, literature and politics. It will begin with an introductory lecture situating psychoanalysis within a broad cultural perspective. This will be followed by psychoanalytic studies of literary works (ancient and modern), politics and philosophy.

Dr David Bell taught at the Tavistock Clinic and the British Psychoanalytic Society for 25 years. This online course, the fourth in the series, will provide an opportunity to study psychoanalysis from a broader cultural perspective.

Like previous courses, these lectures are aimed at two kinds of student: those who have limited prior knowledge of psychoanalysis and those who have studied psychoanalysis (including those who have completed trainings) but would like to engage in interdisciplinary study.

You do not need to have attended the other courses in order to join this course.

Lecture Topics

1. (9 May) Introduction on Freud and his place in culture
2. (16 May) Psychanalysis and Epistemology
3. (23 May) All that is Solid Melts into Air : Freud’s Civilisation and its Discontents, a contemporary perspective
4. (30 May) Totalitarianism: Psychoanalytic perspective on the work of Hannah Arendt
5. (6 June) Hamlet
6. (20 June) Dorian Gray
7. (27 June) Bacchae
8. (4 July) Is truth an illusion: a psychoanalytic critique of postmodern relativism.
9. (11 July) Reflections on King Lear
10. (18 July) General discussion

When will it be?

This course takes place over ten weeks. Weekly lectures will run from 9 May - 18 July 2024 with a midterm break on 13 June.

Lectures will be held Thursdays, 6:00-7:30 GMT and include a 50 minute lecture and 30 minute discussion.

I would like to participate, but I can't attend at that time.

After each lecture, anyone who has purchased a ticket will have access to an online recording of the session.

How much does it cost?

Entire course: £150* (approx. €175 or $190)

Individual lectures: £20* (approx. €23 or $25)

Applications are invited for subsidised places (e.g. for students or those faced with limited financial resources). For more information, please feel free to contact Dr Bell by clicking "Contact" at the bottom of this page.

* plus a service charge by eventbrite