Freud and the Non European

Banned by the Freud institute in Vienna, this controversial lecture became Edward Said’s final book. Using an impressive array of material from literature, archaeology and social theory, Said explores the profound implications of monotheism for Middle East politics. Freud and the Non- European reveals Said’s abiding interest in the psychoanalyst’s work, proposing that Freud’s assumption that Moses was an Egyptian undermines any simple ascription of a pure identity, and that identity itself cannot be thought or worked through without the recognition of its inherent limits. Such an unresolved, nuanced sense of identity, he argues, might have formed (or might still form) the basis for a new understanding between Israelis and Palestinians.
‘Thought-provoking and addresses complex issues surrounding a work composed near the end of Freud’s lifetime . an intriguing critique of Freud’s work that is complemented by Rose’s commentary’ Multicultural Review
‘Undeniably brilliant.” Times Literary Supplement
‘My pre-eminent book of the year’ Tom Paulin, Guardian, Books of the Year 2003
‘The voice of the late Edward Said can still be heard in all its trenchant vitality’ Marina Warner, Irish Times Books of the Year 2003