Some Metascientific Reflections on the Differences between Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy

The aim of this introduction is to present metascience's frame of reference which might be usefully employed in our discussion of the problem of the relation between value-systems and psychotherapeutic methods. This framework will be elaborated upon as we attempt to resolve questions on the choice between different psychotherapies and the factors involved in making that choice. It is not the task of psychotherapy to investigate such matters but rather belongs to the realm of its metascience. In therapeutic research, attention is often focussed only on the technical efficiency of therapy. However, what the following should clarify is that there are other points to bear in mind if we are to take a responsible and committed stand on various forms of therapy. Therefore, it would seem fitting to survey the field of technology, science, metasciene, Weltanschauung and research policies.

Diagrams have been liberally used to save space. In addition, readers are referred to an earlier exposition of the metascience of psychoanalysis (Lesche 1971a). This particular framework of metascience considers itself in harmony with the Gothenburg school of systems theory research theory