Brenner's paper promises an interesting discussion, not only on his given topic, but also in relation to the more general epistemological aspects embedded within it. Let us begin by examining the general cultural roots, in Freud's work, of the concepts implied in this discussion. The revision Brenner proposes shows that abstract psychoanalytic theory called metapsychology, especially some parts of it, is based not only on clinical empiricism but also on speculation. For Freud's theorizing speculation is important, indeed, at times, central, according to Guttman et al. (1995). Freud uses this term 88 times in the original text of his works, the Gesammelte Werke—just as the analyst's activity is seen by him as a construction (115 times). The ties with a formal empirical basis are