[The psychiatric diagnostic task].

Abstract

When glancing through the works of different authors, two different modes--related to a predominance of either the naturalistic believes, or the crisis thereof--can be detected. Of both modes, the former devised diagnosis as aimed at a cognitive goal yielding a kind of "photograph" of symptoms and signs that had been scrutinized. The latter devised diagnosis as a task that had to be undertaken. The main points of both trends are reviewed.