R. D. Laing, Self and Others

Daniel Burston (Duquesne University); Gavin Miller (University of Glasgow)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Nicole Kennedy (University of Newcastle), Gina Lyle (University of York), Graham MacPhee (University of Manchester), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University), Sean Seeger (University of Essex)

Domains

Psychoanalysis

Dates

First circulation or publication 1961

Places

Scotland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Treatise

Resources

Laing's second book, Self and Others (Laing, 1961) was described as a sequel to The Divided Self. But The Divided Self focuses on “internal” developments, or the inner cleavages that accompany schizoid and psychotic behavior. By contrast, Self and Others focuses on environmental conditions and patterns of communication that engender this kind of inner turmoil and confusion in both neurotic and psychotic patients. Another notable difference between Laing's first and second books is that in The Divided Self, Laing uses the term “ontological security” to describe what most of his contemporaries called “normality”. Though he may not have realized or intended it, perhaps, the fact remains that Laing's first account of psychological normality is prescriptive, because it posits the existence of certain traits that define mental health regardless of the person's beliefs or social circumstances....

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1045 words

Citation: Burston, Daniel, Gavin Miller. "Self and Others". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 August 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16853, accessed 05 December 2025.]