Editors' Introduction

We are pleased to present in this issue Dr. Charles Brenner's most recent suggestions for the reformulation of psychoanalytic theory. Dr. Brenner's paper, entitled “The Mind as Conflict and Compromise Formation,” was first presented to the New York Psychoanalytic Society at its 806th Scientific Meeting on December 8, 1992. At that time the paper bore the subtitle “Beyond the Ego and the Id” and was accompanied in the program note by the following laconic but startling sentence: “The fact that conflict and compromise formation are as important in normal mental functioning as they are in neurotic symptom formation suggests that the concept that the mind consists of id, ego, and superego should be discarded and another theory of the mind should be substituted that better fits the available facts.”

Needless to say the paper provoked considerable discussion both at the New York Psychoanalytic Society and, shortly thereafter, at its presentation to the American Psychoanalytic Association on December 18, 1992. Colleagues present at the latter meeting will remember that the third discussant, Dr. Dale Boesky, was unable due to the lateness of the hour to complete his critique or to stay for the discussion, which was therefore regrettably incomplete. We are happy to report that Drs. Boesky and Brenner have agreed in these pages not only to complete but to extend the important discussion of December 18, 1992.

For the sake of clarity we have reversed the order of presentation. First will appear the American Psychoanalytic Association discussions, preceded by Dr. Jacob Arlow's introduction and followed by the Brenner—Boesky dialogue. Then will appear the discussions at the meeting of the New York Psychoanalytic Society. We expect Dr. Brenner's paper to provoke further discussion amongst our readers and will welcome their responses.

We have selected for inclusion in this issue a case presentation by Dr. George Klavens. Although Dr. Klavens did not know of Dr.