Frederick Crews, Withering Critic Of Freud’s Legacy, Dies At 91

Frederick Crews, a renowned literary critic and scholar who spent much of his career scrutinizing and debunking the theories of Sigmund Freud, passed away on September 16, 2022, at the age of 91. Crews’ passing marks the end of an era in the world of literary criticism and psychoanalytic theory, as he was one of the most vocal and influential critics of Freud’s legacy.

Born on February 20, 1933, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Crews was a product of the Ivy League, earning his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his Ph.D. from Princeton University. He began his academic career as a professor of English literature, teaching at the University of California, Berkeley, and later at the University of Florida.

However, it was his work as a critic of Freudian psychoanalysis that brought Crews the most attention and notoriety. In the 1970s and 1980s, Crews wrote a series of scathing critiques of Freud’s theories, arguing that they were based on flawed assumptions, lacked empirical evidence, and were often contradictory. His most famous work, “The Memory Wars: Freudian Science in Dispute” (1995), was a comprehensive takedown of Freud’s theories on memory, repression, and the unconscious mind.

Crews’ criticism of Freud was not limited to the theoretical realm. He also delved into the personal life of the Austrian psychoanalyst, uncovering evidence of Freud’s questionable ethics, including his use of cocaine and his alleged sexual misconduct with patients. Crews’ 2017 book, “Freud: The Making of an Illusion,” was a biography that presented a damning portrait of Freud as a flawed and manipulative individual.

Crews’ critiques of Freud were not without controversy. Many in the psychoanalytic community saw him as a hostile outsider, and some accused him of being motivated by a personal vendetta against Freud. However, Crews’ work was also praised by many as a necessary corrective to the uncritical acceptance of Freudian theory.

Throughout his career, Crews was a prolific writer, publishing numerous books and articles on literature, psychoanalysis, and cultural criticism. He was also a frequent contributor to publications such as The New York Review of Books and The London Review of Books.

Crews’ legacy is complex and multifaceted. On the one hand, his critiques of Freud helped to pave the way for a more nuanced and evidence-based understanding of human psychology. On the other hand, his work was often seen as overly polemical and dismissive of the many positive contributions that Freudian theory has made to our understanding of the human mind.

Despite these controversies, there is no denying that Frederick Crews was a towering figure in the world of literary criticism and psychoanalytic theory. His passing marks the end of an era, but his work will continue to be debated and discussed by scholars and critics for generations to come.

In the words of Crews himself, “The task of criticism is not to praise or blame, but to understand.” It is a testament to his enduring legacy that his work will continue to inspire and provoke us to understand the complexities of the human mind.