CHAPTER I
Consideration of Early Hypotheses
It is not an easy task to speak about psychoanalysis in these
days. I am not thinking, when I say this, of the fact that psychoanalysis
in general—it is my earnest conviction—is among the
most difficult scientific problems of the day. But even when we
put this cardinal fact aside, we find many serious difficulties
which interfere with the clear interpretation of the matter. I
am not capable of giving you a complete doctrine elaborated both
from the theoretical and the empirical standpoint. Psychoanalysis
has not yet reached such a point of development, although a great
amount of labor has been expended upon it. Neither can I give you
a description of its growth ab ovo, for you already have in your
country, with its great regard for all the progress of civilization, a
considerable literature on the subject. This literature has already
spread a general knowledge of psychoanalysis among those who
have a scientific interest in it.
You have had the opportunity of listening to Freud, the real explorer and founder of this method, who has spoken in your own country about this theory. As for myself, I have already had the honor of speaking about this work in America. I have discussed the experimental foundation of the theory of complexes and the application of psychoanalysis to pedagogy.
It can be easily understood that under these circumstances I fear to repeat what has already been said, or published in many scientific journals in this country. A further difficulty lies in the fact that in very many quarters there are already prevailing quite extraordinary conceptions of our theory, conceptions which are often absolutely wrong, and unfortunately wrong just in that which touches the very essence of psychoanalysis. At times it seems nearly impossible to grasp even the meaning of these errors, and I am constantly astonished to find any one with a scientific education ever arriving at ideas so divorced from all foundations in fact. Obviously it would be of no importance to cite examples
