A concise survey of psychoanalysis as a scientific theory and its philosophical context.
This book examines how psychoanalysis fits within science and philosophy, from its methods to its broader impact on how we understand human behavior and society. It presents a critical exchange among psychoanalysts and philosophers, highlighting both the potential and the limits of psychoanalytic theory.
Through introductory discussions and key essays, you’ll see how the methodology of psychoanalysis compares to other scientific approaches, and how this affects ethical questions, interpretation, and everyday discourse. The volume also situates psychoanalysis within larger debates about science, measurement, and meaning.
- Clarifies what counts as psychoanalysis: therapeutic technique, method of investigation, or body of theories.
- Explores the relationship between psychoanalysis and philosophy of science.
- Discusses methodological questions and how psychoanalytic ideas shape interpretation and understanding.
- Offers historical and practical perspectives on the role of psychoanalysis in modern thought.
Ideal for readers curious about how psychoanalytic ideas interact with science and philosophy, and what that means for understanding the mind.
Sidney Hook, who died in 1989, was senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He was long identified with the development of the philosophy department of New York University. He is well known for his writings on epistomology, ethics, Marxism, pragmatism, and educational theory.