Psychoanalytic Theories, Subjective Experience, and Clinical Perspectives: Reply to Wallerstein, Sander, and Altman

We are grateful to drs. wallerstein, sander, and altman for their responses to our paper. Each emphasizes a different strand in our work: Wallerstein recognizes the integrative potential of our effort to bring Erikson's concept of identity in line with current developments in two-person psychoanalysis, and, by providing rich historical and conceptual detail, he highlights our admiration for Erikson's long-neglected but potent vision. Sander contributes his extraordinary perspective on the organization and development of personality in responding to our interest in that topic. And Altman critically confronts our advocacy of an integrative synthesis to break down what we regard as an unnecessary segregation of the established perspectives.

Wallerstein makes several points as he locates our rereading of Erikson in the context of the evolution of psychoanalytic theory. Accurately, he sees us as paying homage to Erikson at the same time as we modify his theory. Like us, Wallerstein thinks that Erikson never quite breaks through the one-person psychology of his day, although he often takes positions that represent a more radical departure, especially in fully locating the psychoanalytic subject in the social world. In rereading Erikson, we have two interlocking purposes: to bring his work into the