>I need some professional opinions regarding Masson's assertions in The
>Assualt on Truth. First, has anyone refuted the claims/assertions that
>Masson has made about Freud's and Breuer's collaborations?
 
Robert,
 
Several people have written about this, with varying opinions. Two spring
immediately to mind: Seymour Vitz, in "Sigmund Freud's Christian
Unconscious", and Frank Sulloway in his revised edition of Freud, Biologist
of the Mind. There are others. Masson's "evidence" comes primarily from his
reading of Freud's letter to Fliess written in 1896 in which Freud is
ruminating on the possible logical inferences of his seduction theory and
having to conclude that the incidence of actual child abuse must be higher
than he was clearly prepared to believe, since (a) seduction, on Freud's
view accounts for neurosis and (b) not all seductions result in neurosis.
Given the incidence of neurosis is high, then that of sedcution must be higher.
 
 Did Anna
>Freud ever sue Masson for the things he said about her in the book?
 
No, but she was mighty displeased.
You can read more of this, in janet Malcolm's highly readable "In the Freud
Archives"
(ironically masson sued her over things she claimed he said. she ultimately
lost her case).
 
>What is the overall impression of Masson as a professional historian
>and does he lack credibility in historiographical/academic circles?
 
Not high, and yes, he is regarded in some quarters as a "pseudoscholar".
>
>In short, is Masson considered to be a nut
 
Not a nut -- actually quite ab brilliant man. A sanskrit scholar who
embraced Psa like some who gain a wholehearted conversion to religion.
 
or one with apt claims
>regarding the archives, Anna Freud, Breuer & Sigmund Freud, etc?
>
>And would you cite Masson in your own work or would you leave him out?
 
he should be cited, because he occupies a place in recent history of Freud
scholarship. Als, he was the editor of the Freud-Fliess correspondence.
>
 
 
Best wishes
 
Geoffrey Blowers
Geoffrey Blowers
 
Associate Professor
Dept of Psychology
University of Hong Kong
Tel: (852)-2859-2378(O) (852-2517-1885(H)
Fax: (852)-2858-3518
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
website: http://www.hku.hk/psychodp/blowers.html