Richard von Krafft-Ebing's Sexual Theory and the creation of the term pedophilia

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35699/1676-1669.2023.36928

Keywords:

Krafft-Ebing, pedophilia, Paedophilia erotica, sexual perversions, history of psychology

Abstract

This paper, in the field of the history of psychology, analyzes the creation of the concept of pedophilia in Richard von Krafft-Ebing’s sexual theory. Krafft-Ebing was a psychiatrist and pioneer figure of the medical-pathological approach to sexuality in the 19th century. First presented as a sexual perversion in 1896, the term pedophilia was added to Psychopathia Sexualis, the author's magnum opus, undergoing several reformulations over the years. This study will resume the concept to analyze its creation, analyze its most relevant theoretical reformulations throughout the various editions of the author's texts and address the first reactions of the author's contemporaries in relation to the creation of the term. Finally, in the conclusions, the study discusses how the theoretical and methodological bases used by Krafft-Ebing to create the concept still influence the approach to studies in the theory of sexuality in the following centuries.

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Author Biographies

Anna Rita Maciel Simião, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

Anna Rita Maciel Simião é doutora em Psicologia pela Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF).

Richard Theisen Simanke , Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

Richard Theisen Simanke é doutor em Filosofia pela Universidade de São Paulo e Professor Titular do Departamento de Psicologia da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF).

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Published

2023-10-29

How to Cite

Simião, A. R. M., & Simanke , R. T. (2023). Richard von Krafft-Ebing’s Sexual Theory and the creation of the term pedophilia. Memorandum: Memory and History in Psychology, 40. https://doi.org/10.35699/1676-1669.2023.36928

Issue

Vol. 40 (2023)

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Articles

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