Ambiguity in the Ego: The Basis of the Self in American Psychoanalytic Theory

The introduction of 'the self as a psychoanalytic concept in the United States is traced historically to developments in the ego. This article follows the transition in American psychoanalytic theory over a period of forty years, beginning with Anna Freud. These concepts, ‘ego’ and 'self, have been consistently interrelated, as observed in the formulations on narcissism. The impetus was to correct ambiguities that were seen in Freudian theory and to integrate theory and practice. Initially the self was presented as a self-representation (Hartmann 1950, Kohut 1966, Kernberg 1966) and later as a supraordinate structure (Kohut 1977, Kernberg 1982). The formulation of the self within the subjective executive functions of the ego (Kernberg 1982) is suggested to be an attempt to place the self within psychoanalytic theory and resolve the ambiguity in Freud's ego concept. The subjective emotional side of the ego and the objective side which results in identity are addressed while the traditional structural formulation is maintained. The integration of subject and object is consistent with philosophical definitions of the self.