Critical Analysis of the Conceptual Foundations of Paris Psychosomatic School

Abstract

This paper presents a critical analysis of the theoretical framework of the Paris Psychosomatic School. It intends to demonstrate the hypothesis that such conceptual framework is supported in an Enlightenment conception of subjectivity, which sees the body as something to be dominated by the mind. It argues that such a view is expressed by the hypothesis held by the authors of this school, according to which the vulnerability of the person to somatic illness occurs because of a fundamental or passing failure of mental functioning. It shows that such a statement is heir of the conception of psyche formulated within Freudian metapsychology, in which the mind is understood as a device designed to enable the discharge of excitement, especially that from the body itself (instinctual excitement).