The soul is the prison of the body, says Foucault. And the guardian of the soul in the lay world is the psychologist or psychiatrist: it is through him that we find our way to ourselves. Of course, those who seek help from a professional usually do so not simply for the sake of self-knowledge or to take a trip into the unconscious, but because they are trying to free themselves from their predicament. But what should the therapist do with circumstances over which neither he nor the patient has any control? What tools does psychology have when it comes to social trauma or social exclusion? And what social knowledge is needed for good therapy?

The Sociobystrion will continue to explore both the social aspects of psychotherapy and the role of the study of the soul in the study of society. Social science, with its left-wing and liberal undertones, has drawn heavily on Freudian and post-Freudian theories in interpreting the historical turn of the 20th century and the social order of late capitalism, focusing on the question of power and oppression. But has Freudo-Marxism influenced therapeutic theories and practices? And can critical psychology bring the study of the soul closer to the social sciences? The highly successful series Therapy is a conversation starter.

Our guests are sociologist Ágnes Kende, sociologist Melinda Kovai and psychiatrist and psychotherapist Zsolt Unoka.

Hosted by Szabina Kerényi and Róza Vajda