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The rehabilitation of Sandor Ferenczi's thought and reputation is arguably one of the most important developments in contemporary psychoanalysis. He is literally the forefather of both British Object Relations Theory and the American Interpersonal perspective in his role as analyst to both Melanie Klein and Clara Thompson. It is therefore timely that Dr. Oppenheim-Gluckman has summarized the work and career of one of Ferenczi's most influential students, Michael Balint for a contemporary readership. In her subtitle she refers to Balint as a pragmatic clinician. Balint was primarily concerned with the clinical application of psychoanalytic understanding. He was critical of sectarianism and authoritarianism in psychoanalysis. As a deep expression of his ecumenicism this Hungarian Jew converted to Unitarianism.
This remarkable book manages to present a great deal of information very succinctly but with no loss of depth. Her opening chapter presents Freud and Ferenczi's impact on Balint. This complex history is presented with great clarity, candor, and no particular political bias. Balint broke definitively with drive theory but was not uncritical of Ferenczi. For example, Balint did not subscribe to Ferenczi's notion of a complete analysis or the idea of unlimited analytic giving, which Balint felt risked analytic addiction. Oppenheim-Gluckman is to be praised for a straightforward but nuanced account of psychoanalytic history.
Balint was consistently private about his personal life and one can imagine critical interpretations of his choice to change his name and forsake his faith. Oppenheim-Gluckman notes that Clara Thompson was critical of Balint for playing it too safe after Ferenczi's death and not taking a stronger position in support of Ferenczi. Perhaps that was true but Balint was an early and articulate critic of the dogmatism that has plagued psychoanalytic institutes. He was especially concerned that theoretical rigidity could inhibit the creativity of candida