Oedipus complex, oedipal pact and social pact:

the oedipus insurrection in Hélio Pellegrino

Abstract

This paper discusses Hélio Pellegrino's thinking, highlighting his unique contribution to psychoanalysis by developing a critical and innovative reflection on the Oedipus complex, the Oedipus pact and the social pact. Pellegrino, a psychoanalyst, poet and columnist, is among the greatest names in 20th century psychoanalysis in Brazil and is part of the fourth generation of the international psychoanalytic movement. His career was marked by his commitment to democratizing the access to psychoanalysis and the fight against social injustices. The connection between psychoanalysis and the Brazilian historical context underpins his critique of authoritarian institutions, revealing the ethical dimension of his practice. The concept of the Oedipal pact formulated by Pellegrino reflects the structuring function of the law, emphasizing the character of reciprocity and equality as the basis for the civilizing process. Throughout the text, we analyze how this perspective contributes to understanding the structuring of human desire, the processes of subjectivation, and the formation of psychic and social symptoms, positioning itself as a critique of the traditional psychiatric model and the conservatism present in psychoanalytic institutions. Hélio Pellegrino stands out among the protagonists of Brazilian psychoanalysis, being one of the few Brazilian psychoanalysts with a specific entry in the Dictionary of Psychoanalysis, by Élisabeth Roudinesco and Michel Plon. In addition, his text Complexo de Édipo, Pacto Edípico e Pacto Social is catalogued in the Sigmund Freud Library in London, translated into English as Oedipus Complex, Oedipal Pact, and Social Pact. This fact reaffirms Pellegrino's international relevance, recognizing him as a reference not only in the Brazilian context, but also on the international scene. The presence of his work in the Sigmund Freud Library collection symbolizes the recognition of his theoretical contributions to psychoanalysis, especially with regard to the articulation between psyche, culture and social institutions. This work, the result of research on the vast work of Hélio Pellegrino, housed in the Museum of Brazilian Literature, reveals the originality of his thought and demonstrates that, just as there are Winnicotian, Fairbairnian and Kleinian perspectives of psychoanalysis, a Pellegrinian perspective of psychoanalysis deserves to be recognized. This is an intellectual legacy that deserves to be studied, highlighting the importance of his work for the psychoanalytic field, with theoretical and social implications that remain current and relevant for the human sciences.