To what extent are the concepts of fatherhood and family, as proposed by Sigmund Freud, still valid?

Psychoanalysis, Fatherhood, and the Modern Family traces the development of Freud’s theory of the Oedipus complex and discusses his ideas in the context of recent psychoanalytic work, new sociological data, and theoretical explorations on gender and diversity. Contributors include representatives from many academic disciplines, as well as practicing psychoanalysts who reflect on their experience with patients. Their exciting essays break new ground in defining who a father is—and what a father may be.

Liliane Weissberg is Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor in Arts and Science at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Among her recent book publications are Nachträglich, grundlegend: Der Kommentar als Denkform in der jüdischen Moderne (edited with Andreas Kilcher, 2018), and Benjamin Veitel Ephraim: Kaufmann, Schriftsteller, Geheimagent (2021). She has published widely on Sigmund Freud’s life and work, and is an honorary member of the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia.