ABSTRACT
There is nothing very odd about postulating the existence of mental elements of which we are not directly aware. It is what we always do where other people are concerned. Obviously the first step to be taken is to clarify the use of the terms "conscious" and "unconscious". Freud proposes that to start with we should only call a thought or other mental element "conscious" if and when it is present to the consciousness. The methods of acquiring psychological data have been traditionally given as two: by introspection and by observation. Psycho-analysts have not been the first or the only people to recommend that men should look inward and try to know themselves. But it appears to be their fate to recommend it most importunately and to support their plea with empirical evidence which affects everybody intimately.
