Until recently it was feared that the one-sided natural sciences direction of academic psychology would completely eliminate psychoanalysis with its hundred year tradition from the university curricula. And it first returned to a German university in 2009 with the commencement of studies at the IPU. The "Pathologies of the Modern Age" public lecture series now represents a further important milestone in the IPU's still young history. The IPU intends with this lecture series to establish and continue a discourse between psychoanalysis and cultural studies, the humanities and social sciences.

The public lecture series on the subject of "Masquerades of Violence" commenced this semester with the talk by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Straub on "The Violence of Failed Recognition and the Difficulty of being Tolerant". An audience of more than 200 keenly followed the comments by the renowned expert and Professor of Social Theory and Social Psychology at Ruhr University Bochum. Straub's presentation went beyond psychoanalysis however. He repeatedly established further interdisciplinary connections from social research to cultural analysis through to neighbouring sciences which view the post-modern society from various perspectives.

At the end of his talk, Professor Staub pointed out how topical psychoanalysis is and how its importance on a sociocultural level has remained unbroken right up to today. He suggested as a practical outcome for avoiding violence to invest "as much money as possible" at all points in the educational system where not only "new forms of teaching and learning" are being considered, but to also act on the basis of the knowledge already available. However, the necessity for action must presuppose self-reflective learning and psychoanalysis offers "the most secure conceptual framework" for this. Because, according to Professor Straub, only psychoanalysis offers "the conveying and accumulation of knowledge without abstracting from one's own experiences".

For those present, the evening did not end with the lecture. They were still "hungry" for more. Thus, the get-together after the talk over refreshments and snacks provided a welcome opportunity to have in-depth discussions among the guests, professors and students at the IPU in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

All those interested are warmly invited to attend the coming events in the context of the public lecture series.

Next lecture event:

15 December 2011 - Prof. Rolf Haubl, Frankfurt / Main
Felt Injustice