The Limits of Interpretation

Essays on Bion and Field Theory

Giuseppe Civitarese

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English

Routledge
30 June 2025

Psychoanalytical theory (Freudian psychology); Psychotherapy

Series: The New Library of Psychoanalysis

The Limits of Interpretation opens a window onto unexplored dimensions of Wilfred Bion’s thought, presenting essays that illuminate both familiar and lesser‑known facets of his work. It guides readers through complex notions such as visible‑invisible hallucinations, bizarre objects, and a radical reframing of the Oedipus complex – shifted from incest and parricide to arrogance and the desire for knowledge.

Taking various of Bion’s key works in turn, Civitarese explores what is unique about Bion’s thinking on essential topics such as projective identification, infantile development, and intuition, to shed light on the continued importance of Bion’s early work, in particular for contemporary psychoanalysis. By focusing on Bion’s Kleinian‑phase essays, this volume highlights their pivotal role in comprehending his entire theoretical landscape and how far they extend beyond traditional Freudian and Kleinian frameworks. It even poses the question: was Bion ever truly a Kleinian?

Offering a close reading and clear interpretation of Bion’s sometimes dense writing, this is essential reading for any psychoanalysts or psychotherapists wanting to understand Bion’s work better.

By: Giuseppe Civitarese
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 400g
ISBN: 9781041031253
ISBN 10: 1041031254
Series: The New Library of Psychoanalysis
Pages: 202
Publication Date: 30 June 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Giuseppe Civitarese, MD, PhD, is a training and supervising analyst (SPI, APsaA, IPA). He lives in Pavia, Italy. His books include The Intimate Room: Theory and Technique of the Analytic Field; The Violence of Emotions: Bion and Post‑Bion Psychoanalysis; Truth and the Unconscious; Sublime Subjects: Aesthetic Experience and Intersubjectivity in Psychoanalysis; and Psychoanalytic Field Theory: A Contemporary Introduction.