Reading political Winnicott with and beyond Nussbaum

It is evident that political theorizing cannot be separated from psychology as it always implies rudimental psychological assumptions. Every political theory works with an account of subjectivity which implicitly or explicitly presupposes a psychological theory of subjectivation, ethical and emotional development. In this manner, psychologists such as Sigmund Freud, Donald Winnicott, Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg have been an inspiration for contemporary political theorists. Winnicott’s account of object relations theory influenced, among others Martha Nussbaum. Martha Nussbaum takes advantage of Winnicott’s concepts of primary narcissism, facilitating environment and cultural experience in order to develop her own theory of political emotions. In our paper, we will show that she reads Winnicott in a selective and instrumental way. She omits important aspects of Winnicott’s complex theory, such as his emphasis on motility, aggression, vital and creative potential of play and mainly his concept of ambivalence. We will discuss the role of the omitted motives in Winnicott’s thought for political theory and show their relevance for the current reflections on fragmented societies, the erosion of democracy and polycrisis.