The Divided Self a Science of Persons The Divided Self a Science of Persons 1) What does R.D.Laing mean by “a science of persons”? What
problems in clinical diagnosis is he seeking to avoid, and why?
2) Why is Laing critical of
a) behaviorism, b) psychoanalysis,
c)classical (Kraepelinian) psychiatry?
3) Why does Laing compare the interpretation of psychotic speech to the deciphering of hieroglyphics? What role does empathy play in the process of interpretation? What role does clinical ‘objectivity’ play in the absence of empathy?
4) What are the chief characteristics of ontological security and insecurity? In his short life the Scottish psychiatrist Ronald (“Ronnie”) Laing progressed from iconoclast to guru and mystic.
