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Psychoanalytic peregrinations. II: Psychoanalysis as science and art
1Northwestern University, USA. r-chessick@northwestern.edu
The Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis
|August 29, 2002
Summary
Psychoanalytic practice integrates fantasy and natural science, emphasizing philosophical foundations. Objective validity is achievable through natural science, introspection, and hermeneutics for exploring the self.
Area of Science:
- Psychoanalysis
- Psychology
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Psychoanalytic clinical practice integrates fantasy, creativity, and imagination with natural science aspects.
- Freud's psychoanalytic practices are based on philosophical or Platonic foundationalism.
- Modern approaches risk abandoning these foundational elements due to political correctness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reaffirm the importance of philosophical foundations in psychoanalytic practice.
- To explore the role of creativity and imagination in psychoanalysis.
- To advocate for a balanced approach combining natural science and subjective methodologies.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing natural science observations.
- Employing introspection and hermeneutics.
- Analyzing subjective and first-person methodologies like psychoanalysis and phenomenology.
Main Results:
- A reasonable degree of objectivity and scientific validity is attainable for a neutral psychoanalyst.
- Psychoanalysis, as a creative activity, requires exploration of its roots.
- Subjective and first-person methods are crucial for understanding the core of the self.
Conclusions:
- Psychoanalytic technique benefits from a common ground that includes philosophical foundations.
- Objectivity in psychoanalysis can be achieved through a blend of scientific observation and subjective interpretation.
- The creative nature of psychoanalysis necessitates a deep study of imagination and the self.