In this article, the author presents the epistemological, methodological and conceptual bases for a scientific metapsychology, which would offer a privileged theoretical space for the dialogue between psychoanalysis and neuroscience. Thus, the author considers the possible obstacles to the attempt of establishing this dialogue (Oedipus complex and death instinct), as well as formulates the main questions raised by scientific metapsychology. Among the questions presented by the author are: the pulsion versus instinct problem; the concepts of presentations and (quotas of) affections; the foundations of the theory of repression; and the relevance of the concept of repetition compulsion.
Psychoanalysis; neurosciences; psychotherapy