Albertus Magnus College Psychology professor, Dr. Stephen Joy, has been selected to deliver the keynote address at this year’s New England Psychological Association (NEPA) Annual Meeting at Southern New Hampshire University on November 9, 2019. His address is entitled “Will the Real Psychopathic Fascist Please Stand Up?: Finding the Man Behind a Famous Psychoanalytic Case Study”.
The following passage is an excerpt from Dr. Joy’s address:
“Americans today often forget that before World War II there was a thriving fascist movement here. A leader of this movement, imprisoned during the war, developed symptoms that forced him into psychoanalysis with a Jewish psychologist, Robert Lindner. The man appears to have been a perfect example of the conjunction between psychopathy and right-wing extremism. In addition to helping him become less cruel and intolerant, Lindner wrote up the case to guide our understanding of the psychological basis of fascism. Although he made changes to maintain confidentiality, it proved possible (by consulting contemporary records) to establish who the original patient really was: a still-mysterious person who conspired to overthrow American democracy, was called Fuehrer by his followers, made headlines in his day – and has been all but forgotten. We will remember together and consider the parallels between then and now.”
Learn more about Psychology programs offered at Albertus Magnus College. Learn more about Albertus’ faculty member Dr. Stephen Joy.