[Epistemologic models in psychoanalysis].

Abstract

The author proposes to make explicit various models underlying psychoanalytic epistemology. This is done in the spirit of enhancing dialogue with other epistemologies such as the theory of systems. Three main models are discussed: --the scientific model, based on the understanding of phenomena characterized by a splitting between object and subject according to the tradition of natural sciences; --the hermeneutic model, which proposes a search for meaning; --the intersubjective model, which centers all knowledge on the interrelation between analyst and patient. Crucial characteristics and drawbacks of these models are discussed; their necessary complementarity is presented.