Ronald Fairbairn
Encyclopedia
William Ronald Dodds Fairbairn (11 August 1889 – 31 December 1964) was a Scottish psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and a central figure in the development of the object relations theory
of psychoanalysis.
in 1889. Fairbairn was educated at Merchiston Castle School
and at Edinburgh University where he studied for three years in Divinity
and Hellenic Greek studies. He served with General Allenby
in the Palestinian campaign
, and when he returned he undertook medical training. He also taught psychology and practiced analysis.
On the basis of his writings he became an associate member of the British Psychoanalytical Society in 1931, becoming a full member in 1939. Fairbairn, though somewhat isolated in that he spent his entire career in Edinburgh had a profound influence on British object relations and the relational schools. Fairbairn was one of the theory-builders for the Middle Group
(now called the Independent Group) psychoanalysts. The Independent Group contained analysts who identified with neither the Kleinians nor the Anna Freud
ians. They were more concerned with the relationships between people than with the “drives” within them.
Fairbairn was the father of Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
, QC
(24 December 1933 – 19 February 1995), a British
politician.
is pleasure seeking, Fairbairn thought of the libido as object seeking. That is, he thought that the libido is not primarily aimed at pleasure, but at making relationships with others. The first connections a child makes are with his parents. Through diverse forms of contact between the child
and his parent
s, a bond between them is formed. When the bond is formed, the child becomes strongly attached to his parents. This early relationship shapes the emotional life of the child in such a strong way that it determines the emotional experiences that the child will have later on in life, because the early libidinal objects become the prototypes for all later experience of connection with others.
s and the need for affirmative interactions) a pathological turning away from external reality takes place. Instead of actual exchange with others, fantasied, private presences are established, the so-called internal objects. To these internal objects the child relates in fantasied connections, the internal object relations.
Object relations theory
Object relations theory is a psychodynamic theory within psychoanalytic psychology. The theory describes the process of developing a mind as one grows in relation to others in the environment....
of psychoanalysis.
Life
He was born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1889. Fairbairn was educated at Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for boys in the village of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has about 480 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 8 and 18 as either boarders or day pupils; day pupils make up 35% of the school....
and at Edinburgh University where he studied for three years in Divinity
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
and Hellenic Greek studies. He served with General Allenby
Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby
Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby GCB, GCMG, GCVO was a British soldier and administrator most famous for his role during the First World War, in which he led the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the conquest of Palestine and Syria in 1917 and 1918.Allenby, nicknamed...
in the Palestinian campaign
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
, and when he returned he undertook medical training. He also taught psychology and practiced analysis.
On the basis of his writings he became an associate member of the British Psychoanalytical Society in 1931, becoming a full member in 1939. Fairbairn, though somewhat isolated in that he spent his entire career in Edinburgh had a profound influence on British object relations and the relational schools. Fairbairn was one of the theory-builders for the Middle Group
British Independent Group (psychoanalysis)
The Independent or Middle Group of British analysts represents one of the three distinct sub-schools of the British Psychoanalytic Society, and 'developed what is known as the British independent perspective, which argued that the primary motivation of the child is object-seeking rather than drive...
(now called the Independent Group) psychoanalysts. The Independent Group contained analysts who identified with neither the Kleinians nor the Anna Freud
Anna Freud
Anna Freud was the sixth and last child of Sigmund and Martha Freud. Born in Vienna, she followed the path of her father and contributed to the newly born field of psychoanalysis...
ians. They were more concerned with the relationships between people than with the “drives” within them.
Fairbairn was the father of Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
Nicholas Fairbairn
Sir Nicholas Hardwick Fairbairn, QC was a British politician.He was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Kinross and Western Perthshire, elected in 1974 and 1979, and Perth and Kinross, elected 1983, 1987, and 1992. He was Solicitor General for Scotland from 1979 to 1982...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(24 December 1933 – 19 February 1995), a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician.
Work
Fairbairn's works include: Psychoanalytical Studies of the Personality (1952) and From Instinct to Self: Selected Papers of W. R. D. Fairbairn (1994). There is also a biography by John Sutherland, Fairbairn’s Journey into the Interior (1989), a study of his work by James Grotstein and R. B. Rinsley, Fairbairn and the Origins of Object Relations (1994), and an edited study by Neil J. Skolnik and David E. Scharff, Fairbairn Then and Now (1998).Psychoanalytical Studies of Personality (1952)
Psychoanalytical Studies of Personality (1952) is a collection of papers previously published in different reviews. The book is divided into three parts, the first being mostly theoric, the second one clinical, and the third one concerning more generale problems. The most interesting part is the first one, and the first four articles contain the largest body of the most innovative Fairbairn concepts. The table of contents entails:- Part One: An Object-Relations Theory of the Personality
- Chapter I: Schizoid Factors in the Personality (1940)
- Chapter II: A Revised Psychopathology of the Psychoses and Psychoneuroses (1941)
- Chapter III: The Repression and the Return of Bad Objects (with special reference to the ‘War Neuroses) (1943)
- Chapter IV: Endopsychic Structure Considered in Terms of Object-Relationships (1944)
- Chapter V: Object-Relationships and Dynamic Structure1 (1946)
- Chapter VI: Steps in the Development of an Object-Relations Theory of the Personality1 (1949)
- Chapter VII: A Synopsis of the Development of the Author's Views Regarding the Structure of the Personality (1951)
- Part Two: Clinical Papers
- Chapter I: Notes on the Religious Phantasies of a Female Patient (1927)
- Chapter II: Features in the Analysis of a Patient with a Physical Genital Abnormality (1931)
- Chapter III: The Effect of a King's Death Upon Patients Undergoing Analysis (1936)
- Part Three: Miscellaneous Papers
- Chapter I: The Sociological Significance of Communism Considered in the Light of Psychoanalysis (1935)
- Chapter II: Psychology as a Prescribed and as a Proscribed Subject (1939)
- Chapter III: The War Neuroses—Their Nature and Significance (1943)
- Chapter IV: The Treatment and Rehabilitation of Sexual Offenders (1946)nnmmm,,k
The object-seeking libido
One of the most important contributions of Fairbairn to the psychoanalytic paradigm is proposing an alternative viewpoint regarding the libido. Whereas Freud assumed that the libidoLibido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...
is pleasure seeking, Fairbairn thought of the libido as object seeking. That is, he thought that the libido is not primarily aimed at pleasure, but at making relationships with others. The first connections a child makes are with his parents. Through diverse forms of contact between the child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
and his parent
Parent
A parent is a caretaker of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is of a child . Children can have one or more parents, but they must have two biological parents. Biological parents consist of the male who sired the child and the female who gave birth to the child...
s, a bond between them is formed. When the bond is formed, the child becomes strongly attached to his parents. This early relationship shapes the emotional life of the child in such a strong way that it determines the emotional experiences that the child will have later on in life, because the early libidinal objects become the prototypes for all later experience of connection with others.
Internal object relation
Fairbairn states that the object relations a child has very early on in life become the child’s prototypes for all later experiences regarding connections with others. The internal object relation describes a relation which exists in the person's mind. In the normal situation, healthy parenting results in a child with an outward orientation towards real people, who can give real contact and exchange. When the needs of the child are not met by the parents (e.g. dependency needDependency need
A dependency need is characterized by two components: It is a real need of the organism, something that must be present for the human being to thrive, It is something that individuals cannot provide for themselves. An infant has very many dependency needs. Some are obvious, and some have only...
s and the need for affirmative interactions) a pathological turning away from external reality takes place. Instead of actual exchange with others, fantasied, private presences are established, the so-called internal objects. To these internal objects the child relates in fantasied connections, the internal object relations.