The birth of psychoanalysis from the spirit of technique

The author aims to demonstrate, through a textual analysis of Freud's work, how the creation of psychoanalysis as a plausible set of understandings of the human mind has a methodological origin that has sometimes been overloo ked. in the Greek concept of techne. Freud, an acknowledged pupil of Brenta no, was well versed in Aristotelian rhetoric, and selected this instrument of investigation, dependent on language, from the outset of his efforts to describe, understand and treat the world of the unconscious mind. Working i n the tradition of techne Freud actually rehabilitated 'guessing' (zu errat en)-although it became a largely overlooked concept in Freud's,work-and so sought to place conjectural reason as the definitative form of knowledge fo r the investigation and treatment of the mind. This explains why the 1895 ' Project' could not succeed and why technique became irreplaceable as the vi a regia in 'The Interpretation of Dreams'. Its model is founded in Aristote lian rhetoric, whose conception of language was first rediscovered by Nietz sche and was used therapeutically by Freud. Freud's view, is apparent in hi s 1923 definition of psychoanalysis which is compared to the current IPA de finition, a definition which, the author suggests, gives a misleading promi nence to 'theory' and which shows how far a questionable rationality has re moved conjectural reason from the field, to its detriment. From this point of view it is argued that the 'precious conjunction' (Freud) between invest igation and treatment has been abandoned, and the concept of historical tru th and its significance for psychoanalysis obscured.