Abstract

MOSTERIN, Jesús. The inadequacy of metaphorical paradigms in psychology. Rev. Asoc. Esp. Neuropsiq. [online]. 2003, n.85, pp.89-104. ISSN 2340-2733.

From Plato to Aristotle until our days, by way of Descartes, Freud, Watson and current cognitive trends, ignorance of the neural mechanisms underlying psychic phenomena has been compensated by a wealth of metaphorical paradigms. The inadequacy of this focus is expressed, for example, in the Freudian concept of dreams. Althoug a metaphor is better than nothing at all, metaphorical paradigms should be considered provisional, black box theories at best, which in the future must be substituted by explanatory theories which will serve to reveal these underlying mechanisms

Keywords : paradigm; metaphor; soul; dream; psychoanalysis; behaviorism; cognitive science.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )