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Heinz Kohut’s Theory of Aggression and Rage

Heinz Kohut conceptualized aggression as a healthy and life-affirming aspect of the human experience, distinct from the expression of rage at the individual or societal level. In doing so, Kohut offered a new interpretation of aggression that was not based on drive theory. That in turn led to a theory of rage that explains much about violence. In a post-9/11 world, we are increasingly affected by the impact of violence on our psychological and social fabric. The article discusses Kohut’s ideas about aggression and rage and their meanings for such a general theory of violence. We note that rage, properly understood, is the basis for violence in a clinical context as well as in contemporary forms of terrorism, especially in its more apocalyptic varieties, in war, in genocide, and in much societal violence. We describe the interplay of rage with idealization, the grandiose self, rage in the transference, somatization of rage, and the psychological sequence of events leading to individual and societal violence, and note the implications of our findings for clinical practice. The article is based on data from the clinical literature on aggression and rage and on the authors’ clinical experience.