Researching the Unconscious provides an exposition of key issues in
the philosophy and methods of the social sciences that are relevant to
psychoanalysis, both as a clinical practice and as a human science.
These include the debates initiated by Thomas Kuhn's theory of
scientific revolutions, the "actor-network theory" of Bruno Latour, the
ideas of philosophical realism, distinctions between "meaningful" and
"causal" explanation, and the relevance of complexity theory and
"part-whole analysis" to psychoanalysis. The book goes on to discuss
specific forms and methods of psychoanalytical research, including the
role of case studies, of outcome research, and of "grounded theory" as a
key methodological resource, of which it provides a detailed example.
The book concludes by outlining principles and methods for
psychoanalytic research in the wider contexts of infant observational
studies, society, and culture.
Michael Rustin provides a unifying account of the methodological
principles that underlie the generation of knowledge in psychoanalysis,
in the light of recent developments in the philosophy and sociology of
science. In doing so, it provides a coherent rationale for
psychoanalytic investigation, which will be of value to those pursuing
research in this field.
Researching the Unconscious is unusual in its being based both on a deep
understanding of and respect for psychoanalytical clinical practice and
on its author's wider knowledge of the philosophy and sociology of
science. It is unique in its comprehensive approach to the principles of
psychoanalytic research.
