Ernest Jones: His Contribution to Psycho-Analytic Theory1

Many of us vividly recall the lively and gallant figure of Ernest Jones at the Freud Centennial Meetings held two years ago in London and Chicago. Although suffering even then from the condition which caused his death in February of this year, neither distance nor illness deterred him. As the last surviving member of the famous 'Committee' and as the biographer of Freud, his presence added to the significance and dignity of the occasion on both continents. This in itself was both an enormous contribution to and overwhelming evidence of a half-century's unambivalent allegiance both to psycho-analysis and to its founder. In addition, his Centenary Addresses(Jones, 1956) were no mere collections of platitude or personal reminiscence. Each in its own way was an original contribution. 'Our Attitude Towards Greatness', for example, showed implicit understanding of many points we are attempting to clarify in respect to the theory of object relations. 'The Nature of Genius', although couched in a different vocabulary, touched on many areas relevant to modern ego psychology and the nature of pre-conscious mental processes. His address to the joint meeting of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychoanalytic Association, finally, brought into the open many current issues concerning the future development of psycho-analysis as a science.

These papers covered three areas in which Ernest Jones made outstanding contributions to psycho-analysis. First, historical and interpretative; second, administrative and executive; and third, original and scientific. They also illustrate characteristics of his orientation and approach integral to his entire psycho-analytic career. He accepted unswervingly the concept of a dynamically repressed unconscious. He regarded with scepticism any modification either of theory or practice which diminished recognition of its strength and primitive archaic character. His approach was at the same