Psychoanalysis as a Science by the Problem-solving Criterion

Psychoanalysis has long been subject to debate regarding its scientific status. The critiques have come from diverse philosophical perspectives, including falsificationism, empiricism, and theoretical coherence. Surprisingly, little has been written about psychoanalytic theory when the perspective considered was Larry Laudan’s problem-solving model of scientific rationality. Using Larry Laudan’s account (1977), this paper examines how his problem-solving model of scientific rationality can help us understand the acceptance of psychoanalytic theories by a large community of rational people. Laudan argues that the primary aim of science is to provide adequate solutions to problems rather than to be true, well-confirmed, or empirically validated. This paper applies Laudan’s framework to psychoanalysis, portraying psychoanalysis as a highly rational enterprise. Yet its rationality does not depend on meeting traditional scientific criteria but rather on its ability to solve the problems it is confronted with. By examining the clinical and conceptual challenges addressed by pioneers like Freud, Klein, Winnicott, and Kohut, this paper illustrates how psychoanalysis embodies the problem-solving approach characteristic of scientific inquiry. If we accept this view we might conclude not that psychoanalytic scientific methods are inadequate but that our characterizations of these methods are insufficient to capture what is happening in psychoanalysis.