Contradiction 2/2024 Marxism and Psychoanalysis

The convergence of Marxist and Freudian thought—once thought unlikely—opened new theoretical and practical pathways for 20th-century critical thinking. Yet it is often overlooked that this movement had its roots in Central and Eastern Europe. However, rather than forming a seamless synthesis, the fragile alliance of Marxism and psychoanalysis provoked debates and controversies that spread across philosophy, aesthetics, and, of course, psychology.

The new English issue of Contradictions explores the contested legacy of this encounter in the region, tracing its reverberations and contemporary relevance. Contributions examine the reception of psychoanalysis in the interwar Hungarian left, critiques of “Freudianism” in Hoxha’s Albania, and the theoretical afterlife of psychoanalysis within the Czechoslovak “Historical Group”. Slavoj Žižek appears as a classic figure of the tradition, though here his concepts are read through the lens of his early “Yugoslav” period. The issue also features translations of texts by Záviš Kalandra and Karel Teige. Finally, in memory of the recently deceased Peter Steiner, we include his essay on Václav Černý.