Re: Re: Re: Freud and Science

[Doug Henwood <dhenwood@xxxxxxxxx>]

Carrol Cox wrote:

> But the description of depression as "aggression turned inwards"
> is merely a label, and even if a correct label doesn't really tell us
> anything about either depression or its treatment. Quite aside
> from the question of "empirical evidence," the problem with
> most psychoanalytic statements is that they are subject to
> Marx's criticism (in *Poverty of Philosophy*) of Providence.
> They are merely a sort of summary or paraphrase of the
> facts masquerading as an explanation.

Not really. A psychoanlysis of your depression would require you to
talk about it - to associate freely with no internal censorship - "to
let the patient do all the talking," as Lacan said.

What's literary criticism? It's not a science of diamond-scratching
hardness, but it's a worthwhile pursuit, isn't it?

Doug