You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
On December 18th, 1998, at the winter meeting of the American Psychoanalytic Association in New York, a historic event occurred. The immediate past president of the American Psychoanalytic, Dr. Marvin Margolis, appeared before a large audience assembled in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria; all were anxiously awaiting his plenary session speech. The topic of Dr. thoughtful' Margolis presentation was “The American Psychoanalytic Association: The Impact of Recent Organizational Changes on Our Standards—The Prospects for Unity in American Psychoanalysis.” In a dramatic reversal of past behavior of the American, Dr. Margolis officially apologized for the humiliation and exclusion of many of the most creative and talented psychoanalysts by the American Psychoanalytic Association. This exclusion, which occurred over 50 years ago, had caused a split in the psychoanalytic movement. He admitted that the American was wrong for insisting on conformity to the libido theory and on maintaining an elitist and rejecting attitude toward those who dissented. In recent years, the American Psychoanalytic has totally reversed its position and is now embracing the inclusive and democratic ideals that were the very foundations of our American Academy of Psychoanalysis. At this winter meeting of the American Psychoanalytic, there was no rigid adherence to a unitary theory, as if it were the sole truth. Instead, presentations were given from some divergent theoretical perspectives, including those by Klein, Lacan, object relations, and self psychology. Also on the program were articles on anthropology, culture, group and family therapy, homophobia, neurobiology, as well as on applied psychoanalysis.