Adler Alfred

Alfred Adler, Austrian Psychologist, TLS Promoting Adlerian Psychology in the United States

2pp typed letter in German signed by Austrian psychologist Dr. Alfred Adler (1870-1937) as "Adler" in pencil at the bottom of the second page. Written in New York City on November 2, 1929. Typed on both sides of cream-colored stationery with "The Windermere / West End Avenue at 92nd Street / New York City" letterhead, complete with an image of the newly constructed Upper West Side building at upper left. With a few pencil marks throughout the letter indicating edits, probably in Adler's hand. Expected paper folds and minor darkening along the central fold, else very good to near fine. 6" x 9.25". A full English translation and transcript is also provided.

Adler was visiting the United States--almost certainly on a lecture tour--when he wrote this letter to Dr. Otto Erwin Kraus (alternately spelled as Krausz). Kraus was a PhD in Psychology and an early proponent of Adlerian psychology who emigrated to Chicago in the 1920s.

Adler wrote in part:

"Over here I am busy trying to invite as many as of our friends as I can. Experience has taught me not to underestimate the difficulties. As far as I know there are only two ways to succeed: either to write a book which must be well-received here, or to find a group of Americans in Vienna who have enough influence to obtain invitations. After this step has been taken it will not be hard to succeed here. I myself am never asked if I could propose anyone. And as often as I have suggested a person I am answered with the remark that such persons are not well-known and that it would be risky to ask them. In spite of this, I keep trying…

I would be very grateful if, besides hints about your plan, you would also tell me sometimes your unadulterated opinion about the situation in Vienna and in Austria. Here I get only rumors and there are very few people who could tell me anything of importance.

I think it would be worthwhile for both our sakes if you could become quite active in our Viennese circles. Our movement is strong enough to survive anywhere. Most of the time this happens automatically, without the influence of a strong personality. And I feel that in these times it would be of great merit to deal quite bluntly with the shallow camp-followers of our foes…"

Adler's letter is written in terms sufficiently general to prevent us from having absolute certitude about what he is writing. Yet historical context grants us the license to speculate that Adler was attempting nothing short of a take-over of the world of psychology! In the first and last paragraphs, Adler discusses his plan to infiltrate intellectual or academic circles in the United States and in Austria. The "movement" Adler mentioned in the last paragraph is thus that of his own school--Adlerian psychology.

Adler writes dramatically about "our friends" and "our foes." This is likely a characterization of the various splits that had fractured the modern psychology community, including Adler's own defection from Freud's camp. In the early twentieth century, Adler had attended fellow Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud's "Wednesday Society" meetings. Members of these informal discussion groups debated the controversies of contemporary psychological study. Adler left the group in 1911, and later diverged from Freud in the latter's interpretation of sexual vs. aggressive drives, among other things. In this way, Adler became one of the first to contest Freud's establishment theories in a move that would anticipate the severance between Freud and Carl Jung in 1914.

Adler's reference in the letter to "a strong personality" is fascinating when you consider his personal interest in the study of "Individual Psychology". The meaning of this term as Adler understood it is somewhat counter-intuitive. This theory maintained that many factors contributed to forming distinctive individual personalities and neuroses, chief among them the community and human relationships. Adler advocated that therapy should acknowledge and embrace these same interconnections. In this way, Adler's theories endorse a holistic approach. Adler's research also produced our modern understanding of the "inferiority complex." Here, then, Adler applies some of his insights into personality development, in order to better defeat his opponents!

Adler lectured extensively in Europe and the United States during the last decades of his life. He became a visiting professor at New York's Columbia University after 1927.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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