Rosenblatt believes it important to counteract the effect of the second half of Grünbaum's book, The Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophical Critique. As Rosenblatt

sees it, Grünbaum takes the position that psychoanalytic theory must not be based on clinical evidence, but must, rather, be validated by extraclinical observations and studies. Through a series of arguments, clinical examples, and citing of research, he attempts to refute Grünbaum and to demonstrate that data obtained through clinical work is vital to the development of psychoanalytic theory. At the same time, he acknowledges the service rendered by Grünbaum's argument for more varied, systematic, and careful psychoanalytic research.