Just after Freud's death in 1939 the British Psycho-Analytical Society was the setting for a fierce debate. Controversy erupted over the validity and status of the ideas introduced into psychoanalysis by Melanie Klein: to what extent did her ideas deviate from Freud's basic propositions and what should be done about it? Although the central disagreements were about theory and technical practice, power in the psychoanalytic society and its future organization were also at stake, along with central questions about the diffusion and transmission of the discipline. To debate the controversies the Society held a series of scientific discussions, its Training Committee investigated the parameters of valid technique, and its officers considered the democratic structure of the organization.

For this book the editors have had access to previously closed archive material; these materials are presented here for the first time with the minimum of censorship. This collection of papers, precis of discussion, minutes, resolutions, and relevant aspects of the personal correspondence between the participants, provides the first definitive record of controversies which were to be repeated in different forms in psychoanalytic societies all over the world. It will be of great interest to all those concerned with the development of psychoanalysis and with understanding the process of scientific discovery in any field. Throughout the book the editors have included a series of commentaries and notes designed to provide a context for the documents, as well as brief biographical information about the major participants.