Faust III: Peter F. Schmid’s sidelong glance at psychotherapy

ABSTRACT

Peter F.Schmid’s sequel to Goethe’s Faust imagines Faust’s ‘inner world’ and his aspiration to become a psychotherapist of the whole of humankind who saves the world from evil. It is argued that Schmid’s Faust is a literary text that provides a sidelong glance at psychotherapy since it offers a vision of reality that is primarily a dynamic, dialogical and intersubjective process, which leads to shifts in shared meanings. First, I discuss the nature of Faust’s transformation in both Goethe’s and Schmid’s versions of Faust. Second, I refer to Schmid’s characterization of Faust’s ‘inner world’ and the challenges he faces in becoming a psychotherapist. Third, I discuss the dialectics of mutual tension, in particular, of affinity and alienation, in the relationship between Faust and Mephistopheles, the devil. Fourth, I compare Goethe’s and Schmid’s concepts of evil and the extent to which they reflect an inherent aspect of the human condition. Finally, I discuss their understanding of the spiritual dimension of Faust’s transformation in which he attempts to transcend his limitations as a human being and engage relationally in a process of becoming.

KEYWORDS:

• Peter F. Schmid
• psychotherapy
• transformation
• Goethe
• Faust

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.