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A Rapaport-Klein Study Group Presentation: Did Strachey Falsely Scientize Freud?

June 21, 2025 at 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM Eastern

FREE / 2.0 CE/CME Credits

Professor Solms argues against the claim that Strachey ‘falsely scientized’ Freud.
The claim that Strachey ‘falsely scientized’ Freud, mainly through the translation of his technical vocabulary, is the red thread that runs through all the major criticisms of the Standard Edition (e.g. Bettelheim, Ornston, Laplanche). In this lecture, professor Solms argues against this criticism on three grounds. (1) It fails to take account of the differing conventions employed in German and English scientific writing. (2) It fails to take account of Freud’s personal involvement in Strachey’s choices. (3) It fails to consider continuities between Freud’s neuroscientific and psychoanalytic writings. These points will be illustrated by way of representative examples. Professor Solms will also take the opportunity to describe and defend other editorial policy decisions that he took, and will provide a general introduction to the form and content of the Revised Standard Edition.