The Laius complex: From myth to psychoanalysis

Abstract

The “Laius complex,” named after Oedipus' filicidal and pederastic father, refers to the murderous and incestuous wishes of a parent toward a child. In its broader meaning, the Laius complex also includes any wish on the part of one in authority to symbolically murder or diminish a subordinate. Although the stories from myth and religion, as well as our own personal experiences and clinical observations, give us ample evidence of parental aggression and hostility, the Laius complex has been largely ignored in the psychoanalytic literature. This paper will explore why this has been so, and argues that the Laius complex does deserve more recognition than it has hitherto been given. The author begins with Freud and his understanding of Oedipus/Laius issues. Next, the contributions of George Devereux, Martin Bergmann, and others are discussed with an emphasis on the appearance of the Laius motif in myth and religion. Finally, the author discusses the implication of the Laius complex for psychoanalytic theory and clinical practice.

Keywords:

• Laius complex
• Oedipus complex
• parricide
• filicide
• myth
• religion

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Iris Levy

Iris Levy is a training analyst, senior supervisor and faculty member at the Postgraduate Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, and is a graduate of both the psychoanalytic and supervisory training programs at the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health. In 1993, she was the recipient of the Emmanuel K. Schwartz Memorial award for her paper on “Superego issues in psychoanalytic supervision”, and in 2000, she received the Arlene and Lewis Wolberg Memorial Award for her paper on the “Laius complex”. She was formerly an associate editor of the journal of the Postgraduate Psychoanalytic Society, Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, and has published several articles on psychoanalysis. She maintains a private practice in New York City