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This short, clearly written study of the moral and political implications of Freud's thought subsumes a reading of Philip Rieff, Herbert Marcuse, Jürgen Habermas, and Paul Ricoeur. The title reflects Abramson's thesis that the liberation offered by psychoanalysis is a personal one which, although profound, is incomplete. On
the final page he writes: "Such self-understanding cannot illumine, much less support, the richer aspects of personal character—the virtues of fellow-feeling and friendship, of citizenship and allegiance to a common good. These virtues are realized through politics or not at all." Abramson claims that Freud's writings contribute to this communitarian vision of liberation, but that this aspect of his work is underdeveloped.
The description of communitarian liberation is at bottom a statement about the meaning of life. The vision is attractive, and the virtues extolled are admirable. Since the latter are regarded as completing the human soul, and can be fulfilled only in a political context, then the meaning of life is said to be found in participation in politics. It should be noted, however, that such statements are philosophical in origin and, as such, cannot be refuted or confirmed within psychoanalysis itself.
It is possible, however, to assess the extent to which psychoanalysis supports the view that Abramson's vision can be achieved. He makes his case through a discussion of Freud's writings on group psychology and an analysis of the nature of Eros in Freud's thought. Concerning the first, Freud emphasized that members of a group have a relationship with the leader rather than with each other. Abramson maintains that they can have more meaningful relationships with each other than Freud allows; the self, in other words, can be fulfilled in the group. This, unfortunately, is asserted rather than demonstrated with examples. Abramson also claims (p. 60) that Freud's account of group psychology can help us understand events only whe