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Preoccupation with the psychology of the philosopher might lead to disregard of the truth or falsity of his ideas taken in themselves (F. Copleston, A History of Philosophy, vol. 1, p. 9). Similarly, it is presumably true that in addition to distortion produced in the analyst by his own conflicts, there must be other elements that might contribute to his failure to be scientific, e.g. insufficient knowledge of the subject. We may too easily assume that all difficulties can be dealt with by more analysis. The subject of this discussion is how to determine, elaborate, and display the procedures that constitute correct analysis, or that conform to standards that at least avoid methods that could not possibly be scientific in any circumstances. And, reciprocally, how to see that findings allegedly psychoanalytic cannot possibly be scientific even if true.
The first requisite is a means by which one could tell that one was going wrong; the second, a means by which one could rectify the mistake.
I think I was wrong with X. I object to this after years of experience. My objection is based on a feeling that I have tried hard and made endless efforts to be on the right tack. But this is my avowal. I know the criticism and can be critical because I have a picture of myself as a sulky man, feeling very sorry for myself in the plight in which I have been pleased to depict myself. The view that I have ‘tried hard’ and ‘made endless efforts’ is flattering to my esteem, but it is a view set in a moral outlook in which ‘trying hard’ is a virtue that will be rewarded. And if it is not, I have a right to be annoyed with someone – fate or X perhaps.
It occurs to me that I may be going wrong because I don't please myself. That is to say that it is a sign I am going wrong if I am not pleasing myself in the sense of making myself pleased, and in the sense that I am not pleased with and by myself. But am I stating a symptom or a cause? And doesn't this mean that I believe something
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