-The Western world has tired of Freud. His propositions and methods are deemed outdated. I reject such sentiments and this book is an attempt to explain why. I will do this in two stages. First, I want to introduce a new reading of Freud and second, I want to expose the paradox that lies at the kernel of his life's endeavour.

Once I have established Freud as a practitioner rather than a scientist I will explain the notion of a theory of practice with its tripartite components of theoretical premises, technique and aim.

Freud's psychoanalytic theory of practice has as its...