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Understanding human nature / Alfred Adler ; a new translation by Colin Brett

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: Oxford : Oneworld, 2009.Description: 239 p. ; 22 cmISBN:
  • 9781851686674
  • 1851686673
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 150.1953 ADL
Contents:
What is the psyche? -- Social aspects of mental life -- The child and society -- The world we live in -- Aspects of unreality -- The inferiority complex -- Psychological characteristics -- Male and female -- The family constellation -- General considerations -- Aggressive character traits -- Non-aggressive character traits -- Other expressions of character -- Feelings and emotions -- General remarks on child-rearing and education.
Summary: Adler explores the development of our personality, introducing all his key themes to explore the nature of the psyche, how character forms, how we see the world, and how we become who we are.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Copy number Status Date due Barcode
Standard Loan Thurles Library Main Collection 150.1953 ADL (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available R18335YKRC

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Long-regarded as the handbook of Individual Psychology, Understanding Human Nature provides an accessible introduction to Adler's key concepts, with which he moved away from his colleague Freud's thinking. These include inferiority/ superiority complexes; memories and dreams; love marriage and children; and sexuality and sexual problems. Adler's holistic personality-based approach to psychology continues to be relevant today to students, the general public and professionals alike.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [233]) and index.

What is the psyche? -- Social aspects of mental life -- The child and society -- The world we live in -- Aspects of unreality -- The inferiority complex -- Psychological characteristics -- Male and female -- The family constellation -- General considerations -- Aggressive character traits -- Non-aggressive character traits -- Other expressions of character -- Feelings and emotions -- General remarks on child-rearing and education.

Adler explores the development of our personality, introducing all his key themes to explore the nature of the psyche, how character forms, how we see the world, and how we become who we are.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Foreword (p. 9)
  • Preface (p. 15)
  • Introduction (p. 16)
  • Part 1 Fundamentals of Character Development
  • 1 What is the Psyche? (p. 27)
  • The concept of consciousness (p. 27)
  • The function of the psyche (p. 27)
  • Our purpose and goal-directedness (p. 28)
  • 2 Social Aspects of Mental Life (p. 34)
  • The absolute truth (p. 34)
  • The need for communal life (p. 35)
  • Security and adaptation (p. 36)
  • Social feeling (p. 38)
  • 3 The Child and Society (p. 39)
  • Infancy (p. 39)
  • The effect of obstacles (p. 41)
  • The individual as a social being (p. 45)
  • 4 The World We Live In (p. 47)
  • Our mental universe (p. 47)
  • The way we see the world (p. 49)
  • Perception (p. 49)
  • Memory (p. 50)
  • Imagination (p. 51)
  • 5 Aspects of Unreality (p. 57)
  • Fantasy (p. 57)
  • Dreams: general considerations (p. 59)
  • Empathy and identification (p. 59)
  • Influence, suggestion and hypnosis (p. 61)
  • 6 The Inferiority Complex (p. 66)
  • Early childhood (p. 66)
  • Compensation: The striving for recognition and superiority (p. 68)
  • The graph of life and the cosmic picture (p. 74)
  • 7 Psychological Characteristics (p. 83)
  • Preparation for life (p. 83)
  • Attention and distraction (p. 85)
  • Criminal negligence and forgetfulness (p. 87)
  • The unconscious (p. 87)
  • Dreams (p. 94)
  • Intelligence (p. 102)
  • 8 Male and Female (p. 104)
  • Men, women and the division of labour (p. 104)
  • Male dominance (p. 106)
  • The alleged inferiority of women (p. 110)
  • Rejecting the woman's role (p. 114)
  • Tension between the sexes (p. 122)
  • What can we do? (p. 124)
  • 9 The Family Constellation (p. 126)
  • Part 2 The Science of Character
  • 10 General Considerations (p. 135)
  • How do we become who we are? (p. 135)
  • Social feeling, community spirit and the development of character (p. 139)
  • How character develops (p. 142)
  • The old school of psychology (p. 148)
  • Temperament and endocrine secretion (p. 149)
  • To sum up (p. 155)
  • 11 Aggressive Character Traits (p. 157)
  • Vanity and ambition (p. 157)
  • Playing God (p. 175)
  • Jealousy (p. 178)
  • Envy (p. 180)
  • Greed (p. 183)
  • Hate (p. 185)
  • 12 Non-Aggressive Character Traits (p. 188)
  • Withdrawal (p. 188)
  • Anxiety (p. 189)
  • Timidity (p. 192)
  • The detour syndrome (p. 194)
  • Absence of social graces (p. 199)
  • 13 Other Expressions of Character (p. 202)
  • Mood and temperament (p. 202)
  • Manner of speech (p. 204)
  • Schoolroom behaviour (p. 204)
  • Pedantry and prejudice (p. 205)
  • Submissiveness (p. 206)
  • Imperiousness (p. 209)
  • Bad luck (p. 209)
  • Religiosity (p. 210)
  • 14 Feelings and Emotions (p. 212)
  • Disjunctive feelings (p. 213)
  • Anger (p. 213)
  • Grief (p. 216)
  • Disgust (p. 217)
  • Fear (p. 217)
  • The misuse of emotion (p. 219)
  • Conjunctive feelings (p. 220)
  • Joy (p. 220)
  • Sympathy (p. 221)
  • Humility (p. 221)
  • 15 General Remarks on Child-Rearing and Education (p. 223)
  • Conclusion (p. 229)
  • Glossary of Key Terms
  • Bibliography
  • Index

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Alfred Adler, a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and C. G. Jung, was one of the founding fathers of modern psychology. He was a core member of the famous Vienna Psychoanalytic Society, of which he became president in 1910. Following an ideological split from Freud, he resigned to found Individual Psychology.

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