On the origins of Freud's conception of the natural sciences

Abstract

This article examines some of the theoretical outlooks Freud used to acquire the epistemological values that underlie the foundation of his notion of natural science. On the one hand Freud was familiar with the ideas of specific authors (Brücke, Helmholtz, among others), who had made major contributions that support of psychology's status as a science by appealing to physics and physiology. On the other hand, his contact with certain philosophers (Brentano and Stuart Mill) allowed him to use their defenses of psychology's scientific status without abandoning naturalism and without recourse to physiology. Our historical evaluation of these struggles supports that Freud was affected by various points of view concerning psychology's standing within the natural sciences. Owing to the diverse influences on Freud, we need to figure out how we can put his epistemology and his concept of naturalism into perspective.