Laor N
J Am Psychoanal Assoc. 1985;33(1):149-66. doi: 10.1177/000306518503300108.
The scientific status of psychoanalysis has been the focus of heated debates among philosophers of science and among psychoanalysts. The most recent challenge to psychoanalysis as a science comes from the quarters of the inductivist philosophy of science. Since inductivism is a self-defeating philosophy, it is not surprising that inductivists demand that psychoanalysts pay an unlimited price for their claim of scientific status for psychoanalysis. Most psychoanalysts, in their response to this impossible challenge, unwittingly claim to have paid the price. What is worse, the claim is made in a confused and emotionally charged manner. Hence, psychoanalysts are usually defensive and, thus, in error when repelling (in this way) the attack of the inductivist philosopher. It is not psychoanalysis inductivists attack, but their own commitment to their own logic which leads inexorably to the dissolution of their argument, of all science, and, indeed, of psychoanalysis as well. It seems much more reasonable to postpone any response to the challenges that confront psychoanalysis today and to invest effort in a reformulation of the problem of the scientific status of psychoanalysis. Different rational solutions to the problem may evolve if we take care to become well informed first about the limits of our theoretical frameworks and show readiness to change them, if and when needed. That is to say, we can start with a somewhat tentative, not to say skeptical, frame of mind concerning the very concept of scientific status. We may try to keep and to contain our skepticism to the degree required by the discourse at hand, carry on exploring in our practice, report our results, and discuss them respectfully. We should start by admitting that, quite possibly, our discourse will end inconclusively.
精神分析的科学地位一直是科学哲学家和精神分析学家之间激烈辩论的焦点。最近对精神分析作为一门科学的挑战来自科学的归纳主义哲学阵营。由于归纳主义是一种自我挫败的哲学，因此归纳主义者要求精神分析学家为其精神分析具有科学地位的主张付出无限代价也就不足为奇了。大多数精神分析学家在回应这一不可能完成的挑战时，不知不觉地声称自己已经付出了代价。更糟糕的是，这种声称是以一种混乱且充满情感的方式进行的。因此，精神分析学家在（以这种方式）抵御归纳主义哲学家的攻击时，通常处于防御状态，从而陷入错误。归纳主义者攻击的并非精神分析，而是他们自己对自身逻辑的执着，这种执着必然导致他们的论点、所有科学乃至精神分析本身的瓦解。推迟对当今精神分析所面临挑战的任何回应，并投入精力重新阐述精神分析科学地位的问题，似乎更为合理。如果我们首先注意充分了解我们理论框架的局限性，并在必要时愿意改变它们，那么针对该问题可能会出现不同的合理解决方案。也就是说，我们可以从对科学地位这一概念持某种试探性（甚至可以说是怀疑性）的心态开始。我们可以尽量将怀疑态度控制在当前讨论所需的程度，在实践中继续探索，报告我们的结果，并进行尊重的讨论。我们应该首先承认，很有可能我们的讨论会无果而终。
