Abstract
This chapter argues that D.W. Winnicott’s psychoanalytic thought offers powerful normative tools for achieving racial justice. The first part establishes the unappreciated importance of normative thinking for the race. The second part establishes how Winnicott’s specific ideas on freedom, the “holding environment,” and creativity deepen the tradition of political theory. The third part argues that Winnicott’s ideas were powerfully visible in two contemporary cases: the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Mississippi Truth Project, both of which allowed citizens to discuss and come to terms with past and current racism. Taking seriously Winnicott’s work, the final part argues, not only challenges the widespread view that psychoanalysis cannot adequately address issues of timely political importance but also adds a much-needed normative dimension to critical race studies.
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Zamalin, A. (2017). D.W. Winnicott, Ethics, and Race: Psychoanalytic Thought and Racial Equality in the United States. In: Bowker, M., Buzby, A. (eds) D.W. Winnicott and Political Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57533-3_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57533-3_12
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