The hermeneutical conception of psychoanalysis

Grünbaum's foundations of psychoanalysis

Terwee

pp. 93-114

in: Terwee (ed), Hermeneutics in psychology and psychoanalysis, Berlin, Springer, 1990

Abstract

Since 1976, Adolf Grünbaum has published a series of articles on the philosophy of psychoanalysis; in 1984 they were collected in his book The Foundations of Psychoanalysis. Grünbaum is first of all concerned with the question of whether psychoanalysis is a science. Secondly, he is trying to show that the inductivist criteria for science which he favors may be fruitfully applied to psychoanalysis. Put very briefly, his conclusions are that Freud's psychoanalytic theory is scientific (contrary to Popper's claim) but that, alas, empirical evidence to support its truth is still lacking at this moment. In a lengthy introduction to the book (94 pages), Grünbaum criticizes another conception of the nature of psychoanalytic theory, that is, the hermeneutic interpretation of psychoanalysis.

Cited authors

Popper Karl

Freud Sigmund

Grünbaum Adolf