ABSTRACT.

This article aimed to provide some support for determining the place of psychoanalysis in the world of work in the 20th century through a historical overview focused on the two main strands of this applied psychoanalysis: the Anglo-American and the French. In the Anglo-American world between the wars, we see the emergence of a pragmatic, if not instrumental, use of psychoanalytic theory. In the French-speaking world of the second half of the 20th century, we see the use of psychoanalysis to develop both a critique of forms of work management and a reflection on work. Since the principal debates of the 20th century revolved around work, and it continues to be the center of the most relevant issues in social reality, namely precariousness at various levels, the article argues that a problem of this kind is crucial. The critical strand of psychoanalysis applied to the world of work indicated possibilities for transforming work organization valuable to work psychology.

Keywords:
Psychoanalysis; work; emancipation