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October 26, 1965. EGO AUTONOMY RE-EVALUATED. Robert R. Holt, Ph.D.
As this paper was published in the International Journal of Psychoanalysis, XLVI, 1965, it was not read at the meeting.
Brief introductory remarks by Dr. Holt centered around the concept of the theoretical model which he defined as a 'formal structure, the parts of which are manipulable to generate consequences, and which in one or more important ways is isomorphic with observed reality'. Any extensive theory involves some kind of implicit model and while Freud rarely used the term, he always worked with some type of theoretical model. Dr. Holt distinguished between Freud's basic assumptions about the nature of the psychic apparatus and his specific fomulations based on clinical experience. The author emphasized the curious relation of dependence and independence between a model and the everyday working level of the theory; in psychoanalysis metapsychology is the statement of our model, while the clinical theory corresponds to the empirical generalizations and laws.
Dr. Holt feels that the metapsychological model needs a thorough reconsideration and reconstruction, but without changes in the clinical propositions. Reductionism would not necessarily be the outcome of a neurophysiological model; a rejection of molecular biochemistry and biophysics would lead to autarchy in a science by denying its right to use concepts and principles from other sciences. Psychoanalysis requires the development of a working theoretical model of the human being, making full use of current knowledge.