Through her numerous books and papers in learned journals, Hanna Segal has made contributions that have profoundly influenced contemporary psychoanalytic thinking. This influence extends far beyond the world of psychoanalysis per se: her work on aesthetics and symbolism and her contributions to political and social theory have made an important impact on the academic world in general. In this book, David Bell provides an extensive introduction and theoretical background to the field, situating psychoanalysis itself in contemporary culture. In the following chapters, outstanding academics and psychoanalysts demonstrate how psychoanalytic ideas inform their own disciplines and interests, encompassing philosophy, sociology, literature, film and the life cycle. The book shows the relevance of psychoanalysis beyond the consulting room to the understanding of human affairs in general. It is particularly fitting that this book is in the Tavistock Clinic Series, given the Tavistock’s long tradition of engagement with the arts and with social theory.