The Concept of the Unconscious: Some Analytic Preliminaries
Abraham Edel
Philosophy of Science 1964 DOI: 10.1086/287974 (opens in new tab)
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AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Argues that philosophical analysis can clarify psychoanalytic controversies about the unconscious by distinguishing eleven questions and separating their logical, linguistic, methodological, metaphysical, empirical, and pragmatic components. Contends that there are no logical barriers to a construct of the unconscious, that it is linguistically feasible, and that it need not violate methodological concepts, foreclose a metaphysical issue, or have deleterious pragmatic effects, with feasibility and desirability depending on scientific findings. |
Abstract
To illustrate one way in which philosophy may be helpful rather than merely critical in the present state of psychoanalytic theorizing, an attempt is made to disentangle issues in controversies about the unconscious. Eleven questions are distinguished and discussed. Logical, linguistic, methodological, metaphysical, empirical, and pragmatic components are set apart. It is found that there are no logical barriers to a construct of the unconscious, that it is linguistically feasible, need violate no methodological concepts, nor foreclose a metaphysical issue, nor have deleterious pragmatic effect. Feasibility and desirability of the construct in all these respects will depend on the character and extent of the scientific findings. Some issues are also raised concerning desirable types of models in the explanation of conduct, and concerning the relevance of recent studies of consciousness.