No one is as familiar with the complicated history of Lacanian psychoanalysis as Catherine Clément. She is one of the few to have followed its labyrinthine complexities without becoming trapped by them. No one practises psychoanalysis in such an innovative manner as Tobie Nathan, and no one has pushed the limits of psychoanalysis as far as he has. The present work is a fascinating discussion between a practising analyst who has not ceased to confront his discipline with other disciplines of the mind, and a philosopher with great psychoanalytic experience. Not only do the authors review and question psychoanalysis as a science; they also delve deeper and question our cultural and psychic identity. This book aims to show how cultural heritage — a “debt” linking each generation to its ancestors — shapes both how we represent reality and our emotional universe. The authors’ thoughts and conclusions are thoroughly backed up with a variety of specific examples and observations.

Tobie Nathan is an ethno-psychologist and teaches clinical and pathological psychology at the University of Paris VIII.

Catherine Clément is a writer and philosopher.