The Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophical Critique (Pittsburgh Series in Philosophy & History of Science) [Paperback]

Adolf Grunbaum (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pittsburgh Series in Philosophy & History of Science | Publication Date: December 16, 1985

Offers a systematic analysis of Freud's theories, examines the effectiveness of the retrospective clinical methods used in psychoanalysis, and discusses free association, dreams, and personality.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (December 16, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520050177
• ISBN-13: 978-0520050174
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #758,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Lack of Foundations for Psychoanalysis, April 8, 2009

By 

Erik A. Kruger "Erik the Red" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophical Critique (Pittsburgh Series in Philosophy & History of Science) (Paperback)

Adolf Grünbaum's book was clearly not understood (or even read) by the other reviewer; it is *not* an "overview" or "companion" to Freud--it is an annihilation of Freudian thought, from the unconscious up, so to speak.

This is one of the works I was reading when I decided to drop out of a doctorate program in English Literature, so--be warned!--I most likely have a few axes to grind. I had never heard of Grünbaum in the context of the many classes I had taken where I was forced to (uncritically) read Freud's various works . . . usually with a "post-structuralist" spin of some sort. There's a reason for this: Grünbaum exposes Freud as a conscious or unconscious pseudo-intellectual and charlatan. Moreover, he helps build several perspectives which call all of the "Tel Quel" sort of so-called "theory" into complete question.

As devastating as Grünbaum is with regard to the master, however, he does give Freud the credit for having a (flawed) justification for his approach: the "tally argument" with two premises:

(1) Only psychoanalytic interpretation and treatment can yield correct insight into the unconscious causes of a patient's neurosis.
(2) Only the patient's correct insight into the unconscious causes of the patient's neurosis can cause a durable cure of this neurosis.

As several have pointed out, following Grünbaum, this reduces to:

(3) IF Cure, THEN Psychoanalysis.
(4) NOT Psychoanalysis.
____________________________________
(5) NOT Cure.

In other words, the "tally argument" merely begs the question. When all is said and done, as Grünbaum goes on to argue in later works, psychoanalysis is nothing more than a placebo.

If critical insight and intellectual rigor are important to you, this is a good book to add to your library.

9 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not one of the better critiques of Freud, April 25, 2010

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e. verrillo (williamsburg, ma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophical Critique (Pittsburgh Series in Philosophy & History of Science) (Paperback)

Although I enjoyed reading parts of Grunbaum's book, its underlying premise was faulty. Grunbaum, a philosopher, makes the assumption that Freud's theories about psychoanalysis can be disputed on the basis of pure logic, which means he assumes that 1) there was something logical about psychoanalysis to begin with, and 2) that Freud's writings about psychoanalysis, upon which Grunbaum's arguments are based, reflected his actual practice. The reason this second point is important is that if Freud did not practice what he preached, and if his "facts" were gathered via some other means (i.e. speculation), then the edifice of Freudian psychoanalysis as a method and as a "science" crumbles. And when that rather shaky house of cards falls down, so do all "logical" arguments against it. In short, Grunbaum's arguments, however nicely phrased, were essentially irrelevant.

The basic problem with Freud's theory does not lie in its lack of logic. The real problem is that his "discovery" of the unconscious, of repression and of the various defense mechanisms employed in evading the dark, irrational forces of the libido were based on a fictional technique. All of the "facts" he used to support his theories were supposedly derived from sessions he conducted with his patients using his new invention:psychoanalysis. Freud's claim was that psychoanalysis (the retrieval of repressed memories of childhood traumas through dream analysis, free association and verbal "slips" of the tongue) provided deep universal insights into the functioning of the human mind, and a key to unraveling and curing its disorders. In support of this claim he used what Grunbaum calls the "Tally Argument": if a cure was obtained by his method, then the theory must be correct. Grunbaum successfully argues the point that the Tally Argument cannot be used to validate Freud's theory. (Cause and effect cannot be established for psychoanalysis any more than it can be proven that a 4-leaf clover brings good luck. You might have good luck after finding one, but that does not prove causality.) However, Grunbaum's argument is a straw man, because Freud did not utilize the methods of psychoanalysis to obtain his "data," and more importantly, Freud's "cure" rate was negligible, if not non-existent.

In Paul Roazen's book, Freud and His Followers, former patients of Freud's revealed that Freud did not, in fact, follow his own methodology. He talked incessantly, bullied his patients and, according to his analysands, did not LISTEN to them. When Freud's patients objected to his non-stop interruptions, he invented a term to describe their "infantile" behavior: "Resistance." To put it bluntly, Freud created a method that he did not follow and then fabricated the "results" to fit his theory--or perhaps vice versa. (Numerous critics, both in Freud's time, and our own, have pointed this out, as did some of Freud's own followers, including Jung.) Since psychoanalysis was not practiced by Freud, it is an absolute waste of time to argue against it based on its logical fallacies. It's like arguing against the existence of Santa Claus based on the fact that no man of that size could possibly fit down a chimney. As for "cures," even Freud admitted that psychoanalysis had limited therapeutic value (probably because he "cured" so few patients). Given the absence of its two primary conditions, Grunbaum's Tally Argument becomes irrelevant: If no method, and no cure, then no Tally Argument.

My main complaint of this book is that Grunbaum's arguments are as little based on reality as Freud's theories. The battle between the two camps--pro and anti-Freud-- is somewhat reminiscent of 13th-century debates about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Each side gives numbers, sometimes they discuss dance styles, but neither side proposes that there are no angels. Grunbaum, like his medieval counterparts, presents arguments that don't conform to real life. For example, Grunbaum's objection to Leo's statement that children are always traumatized by rape is simply an exercise in academic pedantry. (Sex with children is, by definition, nonconsensual, and is therefore rape. Grunbaum's attempt to make a logical argument that "loving" rape does not damage the future adult assumes that 1) pedophiles are motivated by altruism, and 2) that the child being raped and the future adult are two separate people.) While it is important to set Freud within the realm of philosophy, this would have been much better accomplished by discussing Freud's theories in the context of Wittgenstein and Nietzsche, the two philosophers Freud drew most upon.

If you are interested in an overall critique of a more substantive nature, I would suggest reading Crews' book, Unauthorized Freud. Paul Roazen's comprehensive work, Freud and His Followers will give you a thorough understanding of Freud's theories, and of the character of the man who invented them. And last, but not least, Paul Masson's book, Final Analysis, is not only a very incisive expose of psychoanalysis, it is fun to read. I would recommend all of these books over Grunbaum's.

2 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprende, April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophical Critique (Pittsburgh Series in Philosophy & History of Science) (Paperback)

Anyone studying psychology whether it be as a concentration, a minor or as a major should read this book. The material isn't the most exciting but it's the point gets across. It helps in classes even when the book isn't offered. I definatley appreciate Freuds view and enjoy learning how to interpret the world through his vision.