Volume 27 - Number 1 - Fall 2020
Pages: 1 - 147
Beisel, D. R. (2020). Lawton’s pathbreaking “The myth of altruism” [Letter to the Editor]. Clio’s Psyche, 27(1), 144.
Lawton’s Pathbreaking “The Myth of Altruism”
Intro
It has been a long-term charge by critics of psychohistory that the scholarship of its practitioners does not live up to traditional scholarly standards, in particular the tendency to make large generalizations based on too little evidence. As Paul Elovitz’ The Making of Psychohistory (2018) made clear, though numerous solid studies exist, casual practice has too often been the case. We see it here again in the otherwise provocative and interesting symposium on altruism in the Spring 2020 (Vol. 26, No. 3) issue of Clio’s Psyche.
Clio’s Psyche, Henry Lawton, Journal of Psychohistory (JOP), letter to the editor, The Making of Psychohistory, “The Myth of Altruism: A Psychohistory of Public Agency Social Work,” Paul H. Elovitz, psychohistory
Dear Editor,
It has been a long-term charge by critics of psychohistory that the scholarship of its practitioners does not live up to traditional scholarly standards, in particular the tendency to make large generalizations based on too little evidence. As Paul Elovitz’ The Making of Psychohistory (2018) made clear, though numerous solid studies exist, casual practice has too often been the case. We see it here again in the otherwise provocative and interesting symposium on altruism in the Spring 2020 (Vol. 26, No. 3) issue of Clio’s Psyche.
Unless I missed it, none of the participants in that symposium mention the important 1982 essay published in The Journal of Psychohistory (Vol. 9, No. 2) by Henry Lawton, “The Myth of Altruism: A Psychohistory of Public Agency Social Work,” which deals with the fantasy and defensive roots of empathic behavior, though it does show up as a footnote in Denis O’Keefe’s book review in The Journal of Psychohistory’s Spring 2020 issue. This is an unfortunate and major omission in what is otherwise a valuable symposium.
Best regards,
David
Page 144
How to cite this article
Beisel, D. R. (2020). Lawton’s pathbreaking “The myth of altruism” [Letter to the Editor]. Clio’s Psyche, 27(1), 144.
