TY - JOUR T1 - A new look at the theory of Melanie Klein. A1 - Stein,R, PY - 1990/1/1/pubmed PY - 1990/1/1/medline PY - 1990/1/1/entrez SP - 499 EP - 511 JF - The International journal of psycho-analysis JO - Int J Psychoanal VL - 71 (Pt 3) N2 - This paper tried to show that Melanie Klein's theory can very profitably be viewed as a descriptive theory of strong emotions rather than an instinct or developmental theory. Furthermore, since in Klein's thinking feelings 'create' objects, the primacy of feelings in this theory is central. The paper contains a short chronological study of Klein's formulations of psychic phenomena in terms of affects. It is also maintained that the paranoid-schizoid and the depressive positions are constellations of affects and of reactions to them; that psychic development is essentially in terms of the capacity to tolerate feelings, and that the basic conflict in mental life is between feelings of love and hate and associated feelings. Such a view solves many of the conceptual difficulties of Kleinian theory and in addition promises rewarding insights into the world of feelings. SN - 0020-7578 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/2228448/A_new_look_at_the_theory_of_Melanie_Klein_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -