"Shearon, Tim" wrote:
> Christopher,
> Not to defend S. Black specifically and I don't want to argue too much that point
>about the "whole of established medical practice". First, I do think that Christopher
>might be being too kind to stop with the end of the 20th century with being skeptical
>about the "scientific basis" of medicine. It is still true that most physicians, who
>routinely think of themselves and refer to themselves as scientists or at least
>scientifically oriented, are not.
I think you're missing my point, which was simply that Freud's practices were common
for medical people of his day. If you think that's "nonscientific" so be it, but it
can't be used as a criticism of Freud, per se. It impugns there rest of medicine more
or les to the same degree.
> I also think the characterization of most astronomers is not quite correct or fair.
>Most
> astronomers do know what they are doing scientifically. Most of astronomy IS
>repeatable at some level.
Repeatability was not the issue. Controlled experimentation was. Again, you've mised
my point, which was simply that "science" and "experiment" are not synonymous.
> Finally, I think it is a logical mistake to say that "humanism" (do you mean
>humanistic psychology and with a big H or a small h) wouldn't have happened without
>Freud's influence. That just isn't logical nor is it historically accurate
>("humanism" has a long and well documented history).
Of course I meant humanistic *psychology*, which is why I put it in scare quotes so it
wouldn't be confused with the various other humanisms (Medieval Humanism, Renaissance
Humanism, secular humanism, etc.) that populate the historical landscape. And I stand
by my remark that psychodynamic psychology -- even that which aimed to oppose Frued --
would have been highly unlikely without Freud's example. Note, just for instance, that
humanistic psychology was to a large degree a simplified outgrowth of Continental
existential philosophy. If you don't think existentialism was strongly influenced by
psychoanalysis, go read Sartre again.
Regards,
--
Christopher D. Green
Department of Psychology
York University
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M3J 1P3
phone: 416-736-5115 ext.66164
fax: 416-736-5814
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.yorku.ca/christo/
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