Freud on the Syllabus: A conversation with Dr. David Livingstone Smith

In this 53rd episode of Put Em On The Couch, I have the honor and privilege of sitting down with a living philosophical legend. Dr. David Livingstone Smith is a professor, interdisciplinary philosopher, author, thinker and most importantly, a new friend of the show.  Dr. Livingston Smith's most recent book, Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization, ” was a finalist for the 2023 Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize for Interdisciplinary Philosophy and was awarded the 2023 Joseph B. Gittler Award from the APA. Before that, his 2012 book, Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave and Exterminate Others,”  won the 2012 Anisfield-Wolf award for nonfiction.  David was generous enough to join me on the couch today to discuss one of his oldest and most foundational influences - Sigmund Freud.  During this conversation, I will ask about a variety of things related to the life and legacy of this most perplexing man of science. For instance, was Freud enmeshed with his mother? How did Freud die? Why didn't he stick with medicine? Did he really believe psychotherapy was the answer to all psychological ills, and so, so much more.  Join me as I talk with Dr. David Livingston Smith about a man who's ideas and writings shaped and continue to impact his own writings and thinking.