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This book is primarily a compilation and upating of Kernberg's previously written articles and books. The first part (Chapters 1-6) provides the reader with a comprehensive review and historical development of object relations theory, from Klein, Bion, and Segal (the English School) through Fairbairn, Jacobson, and Mahler, and culminating in the theories of Kernberg (the American School).
Kernberg remains consistently a dual drive theorist, affirming that both love and aggression are “primary,” unlearned capacities. However, he makes clear that he does not consider “libido” and “aggression” as inborn capacities which are ready to go at birth. Rather, libido and aggression emerge as constructions from elemental predispositions. During their development they incorporate increasingly integrated systems of affect states which are concurrently combining with the object-relations of the neonatal (symbiotic) period. At some point in this earliest developmental process they reach a stage of maturity where they may properly be called psychic drive systems. The pre-history of these full blown motivational systems would seem to be as vulnerable to helpful or damaging occurrences as would any embryonic process.
In drawing attention to pathology which derives from this neonatal stage, Kernberg notes that regressions to this point define psychosis and are characterized by “idealized, ecstatic merged states, and terrifying, aggressive merged states” (p. 109). With these ideas in mind, Kernberg focuses on the symbiotic quality of