Psychosexual Development: Criticism of Freud’s theory of psychosexual development

Despite their popularity among psychoanalytical psychologists, Freud’s psychosexual theories are commonly criticized as being sexist. Freud’s theories were often informed by his own introspection and self-analysis, and thus were infused with an inherently male perspective, resulting in a great deal of criticism from feminists as well as from gender theory practitioners. He had difficulty incorporating female desire into his theories and attempted to provide a theoretical explanation for feminine psychosexual development only rather late in his career.[5] He personally confessed a lack of understanding of female sexuality and did not hold out hope that psychology would ever explain the phenomenon.

Works by Karen Horney

Neurosis and Human Growth, Norton, New York, 1950. ISBN 0-393-00135-0
Are You Considering Psychoanalysis? Norton, 1946. ISBN 0-393-00131-8
Our Inner Conflicts, Norton, 1945. ISBN 0-393-00133-4
Self-analysis, Norton, 1942. ISBN 0-393-00134-2
New Ways in Psychoanalysis, Norton, 1939. ISBN 0-393-00132-6
The Neurotic Personality of our Time, Norton, 1937. ISBN 0-393-01012-0
Feminine Psychology (reprints), Norton, 1922-37 1967. ISBN 0-393-00686-7
The Collected Works of Karen Horney [...]

Karen Horney: Theory of the self

Through her views on the individual psyche, Horney postulated that the self is in fact the core of one’s own being and potential.[7] Horney believed that if one has an accurate conception of oneself, then one is free to realize one’s potential and achieve what one wishes, within reasonable boundaries. Thus, she believed that self-actualization is the healthy person’s aim through life — as opposed to the neurotic’s clinging to a set of key needs.

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