Histories of the Modern Self: From the Unconscious to Neuroimaging

This course focuses on the history of the so-called psy-disciplines. These are fields of knowledge that deal with the human psyche, with a particular focus on how psy-science has influenced what it means to be human in modern Western society. How have psychoanalysts, behavioural scientists, brain researchers and systems theorists contributed to shaping and reshaping the human subject from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day? How have different theories about the human psyche intervened in people's lives, made us understand ourselves and exist in the world in new ways? The course spans several fields of knowledge – from more well-known theories such as psychoanalysis and behaviourism, to lesser-known ones such as cybernetics, systems theory and humanistic therapies. We will discuss how these fields have contributed to renegotiations of both human existence and social institutions. The course also extends into the present day. For example, what does it mean when today's neuroscience equates the brain with the self? The course introduces the theoretical perspectives and concepts that form the basis of the field of subject history research, but places particular emphasis on analysing concrete historical examples of how psy-science has been used and established in different areas of society. Discussion and analysis of empirical source material is therefore a central part of the course.