Specific Genetic Etiology, Psychodynamics, and Therapeutic Nihilism

Dr. Erlenmeyer-Kimling has assigned to me one of the most difficult and unrewarding of scholarly tasks, to wit, expounding the obvious. My feeling is that if a clinician or behavior-scientist needs the clarifications of this paper, it can only be because he is so ideologically committed that he will be psychologically unable to receive them. For the others it will be just one more exposition of what every informed and sophisticated person knows. But I accepted the job, so I shall do my best, endeavoring to keep in mind Gide's all-too-true comment that It has all been said before, but you must say it again, since nobody listens.