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1003 Seestrasse, Küsnach-Zürich,
2 August 1912
Dear Professor Freud,
I don't think you will object to my asking Bleuler to take over the editing of the second half of the current Jahrbuch while I am in America. It is a purely editorial matter that will not make undue demands on his time. I think he will agree. I should be glad of any contributions from you and your pupils. For the time being the Zürich production has run out. Even so, the second half is well in hand if all the expected contributions come in. But there's nothing in the offing for January 1913. As I shall not be back until November I will hardly be in a position to make the necessary preparations.
Rank's book has arrived. It is a very distinguished piece of work and will make a big impression. But, as you know, I am not in agreement with his theoretical position on the incest problem. The salient fact is simply the regressive movement of libido and not the mother, otherwise people without parents would have no chance to develop an incest complex; whereas I know from experience that the contrary is true. In certain circumstances, indeed as a general rule, the fantasy object is called “mother.” But it seems to me highly unlikely that primitive man ever passed through an era of incest. Rather, it would appear that the first manifestation of incestuous desire was the prohibition itself. Later I shall review Rank's book for the Jahrbuch.1 It contains some splendid material, and with the above proviso I fully subscribe to Rank's interpretation. I shall also subject Adler's book to critical scrutiny and take the occasion to underline its improprieties.
My American lectures are now finished and will put forward tentative suggestions for modifying certain theoretical formulations. I shall not, however, follow Adler's recipe for overcoming the father, as you seem to imagine. That cap doesn't fit.
I shall table my presidency for discussion at the next congress so as to let the Association decide whether deviation