Albert Moll: Mind, Sex, Ethics

Albert Moll (1862-1939) was a Berlin psychiatrist and neurologist whose work helped establish psychotherapy, sexology, and medical ethics as scientific disciplines.In Andreas-Holger Maehle’s first scientific biography, Moll, who has often remained in the shadow of eminent contemporaries, emerges as a pivotal and controversial figure who merits sustained scholarly attention. Moll made influential contributions to the treatment of nervous and sexual disorders, most notably by introducing hypnotic suggestion therapy in Germany despite strong resistance.Working outside Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis, he developed his own theory of sexuality and a distinctive therapeutic approach to what were then labelled deviant desires.As a founder of sexual science, he served as a medical expert in court cases, and his distinction between physical and affectionate components of desire proved enduring.Moll’s intellectual independence was connected with uncompromising commitment to scientific objectivity,