The Mark of Cain critique
The Mark of Cain is a collaboration of published papers written by several recognized psychoanalysts. The goal of editor, J. Reid Meloy, was to publish an "anthology of psychoanalysts' approaches to various facets of the psychopath, a book informed and balanced by what is currently known about psychopathy from a social, psychological, and biological research perspective." The book divides into two sections: "Development and Psychodynamics" and "Treatment, Risk Management, and Psychodiagnosis." Each published work encompasses one chapter and is in chronological order according to the published date. By doing this, the editor hopes to show the evolution of psychoanalytical analyses over the years. In the introduction of the first section, Meloy discusses whether "psychopaths are born or made," or as he puts it, "how nature and nurture shape each other over time." Meloy uses the metaphor of psychopathy as a house to illustrate how different functions of personality aide in the construction of a psychopathic person. Although Meloy states that the "'house of psychopath' is built on a psychobiological foundation of no attachment, underarousal, and minimal anxiety," it is important to understand that Meloy sees these characteristics a
An important idea to take from this section is that a person with a psychopathic personality will often try to establish one of four "transference" positions with the psychoanalyst. To critique this book, it is an informative collection of published work by some of the key contributors to contemporary psychoanalysis. Meloy chose works that were enlightening and included great examples of what the writer was discussing. s necessary predispositions among many factors which lead to the creation of the psychopathic personality. Another study done is of juvenile thieves noted as affectionless who used stealing as a way to satisfy their libidinal cravings caused by maternal separation that occurred early in life. " Meloy explains these emotions are associated with a process called modulation of affect, where emotions are "felt quickly, expressed coarsely, and dissipated rapidly. Several case studies are presented in which adopted children have severe emotional detachment caused by maternal rejection. Meloy could have avoided this problem by simply writing the book and citing pieces from some of the various authors. " Therefore, a person who cannot feel or express emotions that are more complex can never develop a value system or morals. A person with a psychopathic personality usually has a high IQ. The concept of "latent delinquency," an aspect of personality that remains under the dominance of the pleasure principle, is shown to be related to a disturbed relationship with the mother during childhood. The next couple of chapters focus on the development of the ego and superego in the psychopathic personality.
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Acceptance Essays
