Posted by alexandra_k on January 18, 2006, at 17:19:41
In reply to Re: Eros and Thanatos, posted by alexandra_k on January 17, 2006, at 17:59:06
the more i read... the worse it gets lol.
i have been searching high and low for something within the analytic philosophy framework that is on psychoanalysis. i've only managed to find a couple of things. both were in a philosophy of science vein. looking at whether psychoanalysis was a science or not. they were reasonable efforts. showed how the 'usual' objections didn't really apply... but fairly much concluded that it is best not to consider it as a science (or it ends up in trouble).
but thats okay. i've heard there is debate as to whether it is a scientific theory or a... um... literary / interpretive device or something like that.
but now i'm worrying about its claim to that too.
i mean...
if it is merely an interpretive device then why adopt the psychoanalytic interpretive device over alternative interpretive devices?
why not adopt more charitable ones?
or...
more to the point...why not integrate folk-psychology (a systematised version of what the folk believe about mental states etc), cognitive neuro-psychology, and evolutionary theory?
figure out the sciences...
figure out the scope of possible interpretations...
figure out charitable interpretations that fall within that scope.i mean... if it isn't a matter of truth (as correspondance)... and there are alternative theories that are equally coherent... then why not go with pragmatism?
why not be charitable?
crap.
i hoped this was going to be good :-(
the interpretation of dreams and symbols
is like the interpretation of tea leaves
is like a rosarch test
maybe the interpretations the client offers (when in the grip of the theory) do reveal something about the 'unconscious'this wonderful magical unconscious
this little genius in the head who carefully screens what gets let into the conscious
that works really hard to disguise the contents of the unconsciousthere is no little genius in the head.
sigh.
but apparantly psychoanalytic theory offers (or considers or whatever) multiple levels of meaning and so on and so forth.
it seems to me...
that the unconscious contains stuff the person / society considers unacceptable (by definition)
and thus if you want to get into touch with your unconscious just start spouting those kinds of thoughts.
lol
poster:alexandra_k
thread:599901
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20060110/msgs/600394.html