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Article

Epistemology and Psychotherapy

Pages 80-85
Published online: 28 Dec 2017
 
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One of the primary intellectual challenges of our time is discovering how to develop commitment in an age of uncertainty. This article traces the roots of this challenge to the historic conflict in the physical sciences between deductive and inductive approaches to truth. The attitudes of Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Bacon, Hume, and Kant are examined, and the hypothetico-deductive alternative to traditional deductive and inductive approaches is presented. Finally, the implications of both epistemological certainty and uncertainty for the practice of psychotherapy are discussed.

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Author information

Edward Zerin

Edward Zerin, Ph.D., is a Certified Transactional Analyst and Co-Director of the Westlake Center for Marital and Family Counseling, Westlake Village, California.