

Noëlle McAfee, "Fear of Breakdown: Psychoanalysis and Politics" (Columbia UP, 2019)
Jul 11, 2025
Noëlle McAfee, a philosophy professor at Emory University, dives into the intricate connections between psychoanalysis and democracy. She explores how fears of breakdown hinder democratic engages, emphasizing the importance of tolerance and dialogue. McAfee discusses the role of feelings in decision-making and the impact of loss and grief on political life. She also critiques the intersection of nationalism and motherhood, revealing how gendered anxieties shape our political landscapes, challenging us to re-engage with collective deliberation.
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Breakdown Fear Shapes Political Fantasy
- Noëlle McAfee links Winnicott's 'fear of breakdown' to politics, seeing mass political fantasies as defenses against a perceived future collapse.
- Political nostalgia (e.g., 'make America great again') functions like self-holding to ward off anxieties about falling apart.
Reframe Politics As Collective Decision
- Define politics as deciding what to do when we disagree and there is no agreed answer.
- Treat democracy as broad public practice where those affected help shape collective decisions.
ACT UP As Deliberative Model
- Tracy Morgan recalls ACT UP's large, rule-driven deliberations as an example of sustained collective decision-making.
- He contrasts that with today’s shrinking associative spaces under neoliberalism.