Contact: William S. Burroughs's philosophy of love

The present psychobiography took up the three main psychoanalytic conceptions of love to illuminate the psychological development of famed experimental writer William Seward Burroughs (1914-1997). The study found evidence of all three concepts of love in the subject's life strategies: (1) Love...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England) England), 2023-02, Vol.35 (1), p.125-135
Main Author: Kelley, James L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cathexis
Cats
Child, Preschool
Childhood
fin-de-siècle science
Humans
Love
Male
object relations theory
Philosophy
philosophy of love
Psychoanalysis
psychobiography
Psychological development
Romantic relationships
William S. Burroughs
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Summary:The present psychobiography took up the three main psychoanalytic conceptions of love to illuminate the psychological development of famed experimental writer William Seward Burroughs (1914-1997). The study found evidence of all three concepts of love in the subject's life strategies: (1) Love as cathexis was present in Burroughs' fascination with centipedes and other vermin that appeared in his dreams and which symbolised, in part, his terror over early childhood traumas as well as his concomitant struggle to integrate sex with intimacy. (2) Love as eroto-philiac fusion was observed in Burroughs' unstable and even exploitative relationships with others. This tendency was most salient in Burroughs' abortive attempts to seduce straight men, as well as in his failed efforts to be a traditional husband and father. (3) Reparative love became the subject's primary mode of interaction late in life. The study showed that, in his declining years, Burroughs was able to overcome partially the maladaptive strategies of his early life through his numerous pet cats, upon whom he projected aspects of his past romantic partners and friends.
ISSN:0954-0261
1369-1627
DOI:10.1080/09540261.2022.2164484