The Debate between Grunbaum and Ricoeur: The Hermeneutic Conception of Psychoanalysis and the Drive for Scientific Legitimacy

• Main Author: Gregory A. Trotter
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2016-08-01
• Series: Études Ricoeuriennes / Ricoeur Studies
• Subjects: Ricoeur, Grunbaum, Psychoanalysis, Hermeneutics, Explanation
• Online Access: http://ricoeur.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/ricoeur/article/view/340

Paul Ricœur’s hermeneutic approach to psychoanalysis stresses the interpretation of meanings revealed via the narratives woven through the discursive exchanges between analyst and analysand. Despite the tremendous influence Ricœur’s interpretation enjoyed both in philosophy and in psychoanalysis, his approach has been subject to severe criticism by Adolf Grünbaum who argues that Freud modeled psychoanalysis on the natural sciences, and therefore it should be judged according to natural scientific standards. I argue that Grünbaum incorrectly downplays the importance of speech and language in psychoanalytic theory and practice, and moreover, that Ricœur’s approach offers important insights that deserve to be redeployed today.