On the Teaching of Psycho-Analysis in Universities (1918)

This paper was first published in a Hungarian translation (probably made by Ferenczi) in the Budapest medical periodical Gyógyászat, 59 (13), 192, on March 30, 1919. No trace can be found of the original German text. The Hungarian title, 'Kell-e az egyetemen a psychoanalysist tanitani?', means literally: 'Should psycho-analysis be taught at the University?'. The paper seems to have been one of a series, by different writers, dealing with reforms in medical education. It is likely that Freud wrote it in the autumn of 1918, at about the time of the Fifth International Psycho-Analytical Congress in Budapest. There was then a considerable agitation among the medical students at Budapest for the inclusion of psycho-analysis in their curriculum. In March, 1919, when a Bolshevik government took temporary control in Hungary, Ferenczi was in fact installed as Professor of Psycho-Analysis at the University.—The rediscovery of the paper is due to the energy of Dr. Ludovico Rosenthal of Buenos Aires, and we are indebted to him for putting a photostat of the original publication at our disposal. The present translation from the Hungarian is based on one made by J. F. O'Donovan and Ludovico Rosenthal. It has been revised with the assistance of Dr. Michael Balint. Readers will understand that this is at best only a third-hand version of Freud's actual words.

The question of the advisability of teaching psycho-analysis in Universities may be considered from two points of view: that of psycho-analysis and that of the University.

• 1The inclusion of psycho-analysis in the University curriculum would no doubt be regarded with satisfaction by every psycho-analyst. At the same time it is clear that the psycho-analyst can dispense entirely with the University without any loss to himself. For what he needs in the matter of theory can be obtained from the literature of the subject and, going more deeply, at the scientific meetings of the psycho-analytic socie