Analysing the Psyche: Janet and Early Freud on Subconscious Ideas and Heredity in Traumatic Hysteria

This paper aims to provide new insights into the much-debated relationship between Sigmund Freud and Pierre Janet by focusing on their early views on subconscious ideas and heredity in traumatic hysteria (1888–1894). I argue that despite apparent similarities in their approaches, their models of hysteria diverge significantly. Clarifying these positions helps to explain Freud’s (seemingly) contradictory statements about Janet’s work. While early Freud often praises Janet’s work as foundational to his own, he simultaneously denies this influence and criticizes Janet’s approach. By tracing the origins of both Janet’s and Freud’s models of hysteria back to Jean-Martin Charcot, this paper shows how they start from a common premise but diverge in their subsequent theoretical developments. Beyond describing their divergent models, this paper seeks to clarify their theoretical differences by examining the clinical consequences of the socioeconomic status of their respective patient populations.