Critical theory and schizoid patients: A look at Winnicott

Abstract Winnicott is often endorsed by critical theory, primarily because he offers a less rigid approach than orthodox psychoanalysis. He also displays a dialectical feature that matches the Hegelian bent that critical theory retains from its Marxist origins. However, Winnicott also entails some serious exclusions that subvert efforts to enlist him for critical theory. This can be prevalently seen in his attitude to the schizoid condition. He views that condition as both particularly ill and as socially disruptive. At the basis of the schizoid condition, as he understands it, is a sense of detachment from, and hostility towards, the social order—any social order. The schizoid flaw, in other words, resides in being antithetical. If antithesis is cast as the core illness, the Winnicott alliance with critical theory is undermined, rendering aspects of Winnicott’s theory collusive with a normalized status quo.