Jessica Benjamin joins host John Totten for our season finale. In a wide-ranging conversation [outlined below], the renowned psychoanalyst and theorist reflects on her radical upbringing, the development of recognition theory, and the feminist lens through which she examines our persistent social dilemmas. Why does more civilization seem to generate more problems? Dr. Benjamin’s answer diverges from Freud’s, and her concept of repair exposes how often conformity is entangled with domination. From mundane conventions like parenting roles to the horrors of war and genocide, her concepts illuminate pathways of transformation through multiplicity, challenging the belief that “only one can live.” She proposes that feminism offers a way forward in the clinic and society: a chance to move beyond rigid binaries into “The Third”- a space of mutual recognition, but only if we are first willing to confront the ways we’ve been getting it wrong.

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1. Biography and Early Curiosities - 13:21

2. Formation of Recognition Theory- 20:25

3. Feminism and Family Roles- 27:30

4. Oedipus and Gender Binaries- 30:54

5. Reversal and Bourgeois Feminism- 37:42

6. Response to Critiques-42:44

7. Clinical Vignettes of Recognition- 48:35

8. Crossing the Bridge of Difference-54:25

9. The Third, Breakdown, and Repair- 56:05

10. Survivalism and Conflict Resolution- 66:30

11. Infant Studies and Acknowledgement- 74:14

12. Destruction and Play-79:30

13. Escalation and Unconscious Guilt- 86:54

14. Capitalism and Supremacy- 91:00

16. Hope- 99:30

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Produced by John Totten and Mason Neely

Music by Mason Neely

Research Assistant: Rose Bergdoll

Website: www.betweenuspodcast.com

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