Freudian slips reloaded: From psychodynamics to cultural analysis

Freud introduced the concept of parapraxis to demonstrate that the benefits of psychoanalytical theory and methodology extend beyond clinical practice. Despite various paradigmatic shifts in psychoanalysis, this concept has not been significantly discussed. After a brief recapitulation of the basic principles of parapraxis, the article reflects on the possible cultural functions of parapraxes. First, we discuss a possible societal benefit of parapraxis as a form of mental hygiene that helps an individual to remain healthy in spite of pathogenic social imperatives. We then explore whether engagement with parapraxes for the purpose of self-analysis can offer a biographically relevant learning opportunity beyond psychotherapy. Subsequently, we show that the relevance of psychoanalytical parapraxis theory extends as far as the major pillars of the psychoanalytical concept of the subject and try to demonstrate that mistakes could take on a prominent position within the inter-theoretical discourse of subjectivization.