Wittgenstein and Freud were two very different Viennese gurus. Both wanted to revolutionise the fields they worked in. Which one do you think has best stood the test of time or do you think both deserve to be forgotten? wittgensteinfreud.blog/2025/…

Did Descartes mess up science and philosophy? I don't want to be mean to Rene, but I think you can make a reasonable case that he did. His dualism gets both the immaterial mind and the material world seriously wrong. This is my attempt to tell the story. youtube.com/watch?v=5JJl0sBm…

In the old days, people went to confession for chatisement. Nowadays people go to the dental hygenist. Is this a sign of progress?

Minds, bodies, selves, souls - are we these or do we have these? And how do they all relate to each other? If you are puzzled by all of this, this video is worth watching. Have an enjoyable, reflective August. youtube.com/watch?v=QVN6Yr8h…

Winnicott described psychoanalysis as an extended history-taking. I think he was trying to emphasise that it is about being prepared to listen to someone telling their story, while recognising that it may take them a long time to be in a position to tell it.

If a person tells you their problems and you feel bored, they are sick and need professional help. If they come to you and you are able to listen to them, you may well be able to help them. Winnicott's advice to a group of Anglican priests.

Some great games in the world cup so far, but nothing to match this one - a football match the germans don't manage to win!! youtube.com/watch?v=LfduUFF_…

How often does the word "Instinkt" appear in the German version of The Instincts & their Vissitudes? Not at all! Whereas Trieb (drive) occurs over 200 times. Ditto for Beyond the Pleasure Principle. Oh Strachey what have you done?! (Apols to those who have known this forever) :-)

Is the Unconscious a reflection of the uncontainable nature of desire? Or is it an archaic form of mental functioning with poetic capabilities that can help us become better integrated people? Jonathan Lear explored both options, but did he get it right? wittgensteinfreud.blog/2026/…

The late psychoanalyst and philosopher Jonathan Lear was an engaging thinker always coming up with new perspectives on Freud and on human nature. His was a distinctive voice & it is worth exploring what he had to say. wittgensteinfreud.blog/2026/…

Is love a basic force of nature? That is what the late philosopher & psychoanalyst Jonathan Lear claimed in one of his early books. It is a fascinating argument for psychoanalysis as a science of subjectivity, but does it really work? wittgensteinfreud.blog/2026/…

If you can only know what it is like to be a human, if you are a human, presumably you can only know what it is like to be an actor, if you are actor and only know what it is like to be me if you are me. Are there countless ineffable "what-it-is-like-to-be-ness"es for each of us?

There is also nothing it is like to be a bat or a human being. People can tell us what they feel about being alive (it is great/awful) & can compare what it is like to be a doctor vs an accountant (different kinds of stress etc) but there is no "what it is like to be an X"-ness.

Xmas brain-teaser: All predatory animals know calculus. Proof: predators need to be able to calculate acceleration. You need calculus to do this. Therefore all predators know calculus. Surely nothing wrong with this argument? (Inspired by reading: Mark Solm's The Hidden Spring).

A question for therapist colleagues: what do you think of Freud's dream interpretations which are often incredibly elaborate & use word similarities/puns? How similar is his approach to yours? If the modern approach is different, how would you characterise the difference?

Little Hans thought that there was only one human sex organ - a widdler - but that men had it in its proper form and women had a smaller, inferior version. Not a surprising view for a boy to have. But, ironically, not that different from his analyst's view :-)

Freud and Wittgenstein both wrote about what happens in our minds when we struggle to find a word or a name. Their discussions are very different and raise some fascinating issues. Which account do you find most convincing? And why? wittgensteinfreud.blog/2025/…

How does the mind connect to the body? Well, how does the ability of a car to move at X mph connect to the engine? Surely there must be a connection since if the engine is not working properly, the car loses its ability to move? A research project based on a conceptual confusion.