The Politics of Language: A Discussion of Andrew Samuels’s “The ‘Activist Client’”

Abstract

This commentary offers three suggestions or potential additions to Samuels’s fine and important article “The ‘Activist Client’” (this issue). First, it is suggested that hermeneutic theory would set a solid philosophical foundation for his political project, a foundation that could add to the article’s persuasiveness and assist the ability of others to apply his perspective to their own therapeutic practices. Two, certain linguistic terms Samuels uses are discussed as counterproductive to his goals, and alternative terms are suggested. Finally, Gadamer’s argument against the concept of empathy is offered as a supplement to Samuels’s intriguing use of Brecht’s approach.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Philip Cushman

Philip Cushman, Ph.D., was core faculty in the doctoral psychology programs of California School of Professional Psychology, Alameda, and most recently Antioch University Seattle. He retired from teaching in 2015. He is author of Constructing the Self, Constructing America: A Cultural History of Psychotherapy (1995, Da Capo Press) and articles in journals such as American Psychologist, Psychoanalytic Dialogues, Contemporary Psychoanalysis, and Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology. He is in private practice on Vashon Island, Washington.