The Assault on Truth: Freud's Suppression of the Seduction Theory

by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

Book Overview

In 1896, Sigmund Freud presented his revolutionary "seduction theory," arguing that acts of sexual abuse and violence inflicted on children are the direct cause of adult mental illness. Nine years later, Freud completely reversed his position, insisting that these sexual memories were actually fantasies that never happened. Why did Freud retract the seduction theory? And why has the psychoanalytic community gone to such lengths to conceal that retraction?...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374106428
• ISBN13: 9780374106423
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A must read for those interested in the "politics" of childhood sexual abuse.

If you have managed to work through the various reviews of this book, you are likely becoming aware that there must be something fairly controversial surrounding the nature of its subject matter. Masson was for a time, the curator of the Freud archives, and thus had access to many as yet unpublished, publicly sealed, or previously censored letters Freud wrote to friends. He also had access to Freud's personal copies of the important books and academic papers of the time. If anything, the level of scholarship involved in preparing this book goes beyond the simply impressive. So...what's all the fuss ? After all, this book is over 20 years old now. In a word : The seemingly never ending and often inexplicably volatile controversy surrounding adult memories of childhood sexual abuse. In April 1896 a young and knowingly courageous Freud read a paper before his colleges in Vienna setting forth in detail the then revolutionary position that such traumatic events actually took place, that they were common, and that they were at the root of later serious mental heath problems. This contention was enough to cause him to be almost instantaneously ostracized by every respected psychiatric luminary of the day. A generation later, one of his best friends and students made the same contentions, and suffered the same fate. As the nature of our own authors investigations became clear, he was fired from his position as curator of the Freud archives. Freud himself then went on to abandon his contentions, and in a move which uncannily mirrors some current positions on the subject, changed his views a the stance in which all such adult memories were attributed to psychological fantasy or if from children, outright or manipulative lies. A true page-turner, and absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in the quixotic history and professional politics surrounding the mental health professions' strange and ongoing internal struggle with the established reality of childhood sexual abuse and its potential influence on later life.

About the freudian cover-up

Jeffrey Massons "Assault on Truth" is probably one of the most important books of the 20th century. He shows in detail how Freud betrayed his female patients and how he finally ended up in denying the evidence of the widespread existence of child sexual abuse. Massons book is a forceful attack against the freudian movement, who even today build their whole theory about child sexuality and the oedipus complex on Freuds betrayal in 1897. But it is also a good refutation of these witness psychologists who today falsely claims that Freud implanted false memories of sexual abuse in his patients. For everyone interested in topics such as the foundation of psychoanalysis or the debate about child sexual abuse - just read it!

Rebecca Hamilton, Teens for Agnosticism & Social Action

A Note on Janet Malcolm: as evidenced in this book, Ms Malcolm actually creates composite quotations and with reference to her interviewing the author prior to initial publication, perhaps for the ensuing monetary gain she knew would thus be open to her, misrepresented (by altering the record of) the dialogue between author-interviewer prior to this book's initial release. Jeffrey Masson filed a libel suit against Janet Malcolm and The New Yorker (who published this journalist's two part article based on interviewing Masson, in 1984) and upon the matter's issues of honesty in quotation (Malcolm's of Masson) reaching the U.S. Supreme Court and then the Ninth circuit Court of Appeals, Jeffrey Masson won the case, but, curiously, the jury was deadlocked on damages. When a second trial took place -- this time without the New Yorker -- even more curiously perhaps, he lost. The facts and actuality of what occurred in regards this "unacceptable journalistic technique" are laid bare in this book, Malcolm's two-part article having appeared before the book's first release: setting the tone for the reviews it's author would receive, and in doing so, both misleading the public, and giving very upset and shaken reviewers the metaphorical ammunition they would need: to describe the author and ignore the contents of the book, to set Janet Malcolm up for life, and allow those in power (psychotherapists, psychiatrists), somewhat traumatised it seems evident, to side with Malcolm --a mutually lucrative enterprise serving also to deny the reader the truth. Just to finish on that, before I get started with my review, although I cannot speak for the person who placed the review prior to this when they describe a "moron", to clear confusion, I believe the individual being referred to is surnamed Webster.I second the that reviewer's assertion: the history of psychical phenomena (including by Sigm. Freud), and especially this very book, has been consistently misunderstood, most often and most critically by those (and they are mostly "professionals" of one persuasion or another) who have something to gain (i.e. something to fear). It certainly seems those persons who have assertively misunderstood have done so deliberately, whether it be consciously, or unconsciously, or a blend of both. The author doesn't intend to set out to invalidate the Oedipus complex, but to demonstrate the irrefutable suppression of the Seduction theory, and attempt to illuminate this act's historical significance on the later development of classical psychoanalysis. Contrast this with the morally controversial but truthfully essential behaviour of certain "jaded" individuals: I am referring to a proposed forthcoming book the publication of which is being held over the head of the Library of Congress presently, in order to see they derestrict the Freud Archives in a "real, complete, and total" fashion: through demonstrating the subject of Sigmund Freud

Delighted to see that this book is back in print!

I read this book a few years back and LOVED it. Then it was destroyed in a flood we had just after that. I tried to get another copy but couldn't find it anywhere, then was told it was out of print! I now have a new copy of the reprinted edition! It is a wonderful psychology book that made me have a far better understanding of Freud and where he was coming from. I now feel so irritated with people who make blanket statements about Freud and how he was "a moron" or some other non-meaningful phrase.This is an excellent book about the history of child abuse. A must read for anyone interested in the subject.

BRILLIANT -- A MUST READ ON THE TOPIC OF CHILD ABUSE

Jeffrey Masson is a national treasure. I read this book in 1984 and I don't know why this book hasn't revolutionized the world's thinking about Freud and child abuse, but especially of Freud. Masson clearly lays out his argument against the validity of the Oedipus complex as a viable scientific concept. It is a quick, insightful and intelligent read for those interested in the subject of child abuse, and I hope that Masson resumes writing on this topic.