Donald Winnicott’s Thoughts on Care

초록

This paper originated to comprehend psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott’s thoughts from the care framework. Winnicott often considered a prominent figure in object relations theory in psychoanalysis, is recognized for his emphasis on the significance of motherhood in a child’s upbringing. Therefore, he has often been criticized for overlooking the care labor’s historical, political, and social context, thereby neglecting the historical and political implications of the motherhood narrative. Consequently, Winnicott’s object relations theory has faced scrutiny for highlighting maternal care as an innate obligation of women. Nonetheless, as an expert in ancient Greek philosophy, Nussbaum observes that object relations theory, particularly Winnicott’s concepts, offers a distinct insight into child development and effectively bridges the ethical and philosophical gaps in the ideal of a mature human being as envisioned by Greek philosophy. Winnicott posits that the development of healthy subjectivization involves not only the capacity to care for oneself and others but also for society at large. He underscores the significance of care in the formation of this subjectivization. This study will analyze his ideas on care by exploring key elements of his psychoanalysis: the maturation process, facilitating environment, separation, dependence, and the concept of the transitional object. This examination aims to broaden the theoretical scope of care within ‘humanities care’ and detect its possibility.

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