Psyberspace – Walter Logeman: Journal

January 10, 2025

Monograph 11 – Marxism without Marx

Onto the next and final paragraph in the same section, Sociometry, Sociology and Scientific Socialism. (p.21)

Sociometry did not develop in a vacuum; many generations of social philosophers have anticipated and formulated a number of the hypotheses which I have brought to a clearer formulation and empirical test. However, I do not have any illusions as to my importance, I am fully aware that sociometry might have come into existence without me, just like sociology would have come into existence in France without Comte, and Marxism in Germany and Russia without Marx. (Moreno, 1979, p. 21)

Continue reading “Monograph 11 – Marxism without Marx “

January 9, 2025

A short reflection on the word “inner”, in quotes.

People often talk about the inner world and inner work. ‘Inner’ is not a good word to use. The reason? It obscures the relational aspect of these experiences. Both their origins and new revelations. Our experiences do not come from within. We are impacted, again and again. Continue reading “A short reflection on the word “inner”, in quotes.”

January 8, 2025January 9, 2025

10. Sociometry and revolutionary socialism

The next mention of Marx is in the same section, Sociometry, Sociology and Scientific Socialism. I’ll quote the paragraph where we see Marxian pop up at the end (pp. 20–21). I’ll then quote some lines from the paragraph and comment in detail. Continue reading “10. Sociometry and revolutionary socialism”

January 5, 2025

Monograph 09 – USA is ripe for sociometry

Now onto the next mention of Marx. in “Who Shall Survive?” It comes up in the same section Sociometry, Sociology and Scientific Socialism, page 18. Moreno describes the advent of sociometry in the USA. Continue reading “Monograph 09 – USA is ripe for sociometry”

January 5, 2025

Monograph 08 – Reflections

I impatient to see the next instance of Marx, perhaps it will lead to a breakthrough. But I’ll add this section to reflect on the themes uncovered so far and then revisit one of the questions I posed initially. Continue reading “Monograph 08 – Reflections”

December 22, 2024January 3, 2025

Marx in “Who Shall Survive?” 07 – Social Science

The section, Sociometry, Sociology and Scientific Socialism opens (page 12):

In the last hundred and fifty years three main currents of social thought developed, sociology, scientific socialism and sociometry, each related to a different geographic and cultural area: sociology to France, socialism to Germany-Russia, and sociometry to the USA.

Moreno is honouring Marxism by referring to “scientific socialism”. Moreno sees himself in this tradition of developing a third science, one that relates to humans. Continue reading “Marx in “Who Shall Survive?” 07 – Social Science”

December 21, 2024December 21, 2024

1938, Stalin’s Purges – Monograph 06

Continue reading “1938, Stalin’s Purges – Monograph 06”

December 19, 2024January 2, 2025

Marx in “Who Shall Survive?” 05 – The birth of sociometry.

The next discussion involving Marx is in the section The Historic Role Sociometry on page 8. The section opens:

During the first quarter of the twentieth century there were several main directions of thought in development, each apparently unrelated and uncoordinated to the other.

These are the five Moreno refers to: Continue reading “Marx in “Who Shall Survive?” 05 – The birth of sociometry.”

December 18, 2024December 21, 2024

Marx in “Who Shall Survive?” 04 – Unity of Humankind

The next mention of Marx is in the section called Social and Organic Unity of Mankind. I’m taking the thesis implied in this title as the first point for discussion. Then I address the section where Moreno references Marx about Christianity. The section opens with the famous lines:

A truly therapeutic procedure cannot have less an objective
than the whole of mankind. But no adequate therapy can be
prescribed as long as mankind is not a unity in some fashion and as long as its organization remains unknown.

Continue reading “Marx in “Who Shall Survive?” 04 – Unity of Humankind”

December 17, 2024December 22, 2024

Marx in “Who Shall Survive?” 03 – Working with Prostitutes.

The subject of this post is a little further on in the Preface of “Who Shall Survive?”. It is in a section called 1913-1914, Genesis of Group Psychotherapy. (xxviii) I’ve broken the selected passage into three sections each with my comment. Continue reading “Marx in “Who Shall Survive?” 03 – Working with Prostitutes.”