The author tries to show that psychotherapy merits the status of a separate academie profession.
This position is based on several lines of reasoning. Through the socioeconomic development since the French revolution the individuals has become, more and more, the unit from which society is composed. At the same time, the increasing complexity of societal structures has created an increasing restraint on the freedom of action of individuals. (The theory of the sociologist Elias is mentioned in this context). These barriers to action have had, as their consequence, an increase in 'inner life' with the possibility of disturbances thereof. At the same time, the Western political system, characterised as a mixture of Christianity, liberal humanitarianism, and social democracy, has created the climate in which this new sector of reality - inner life - has become object of care as has all individual suffering. Therefor the obligation on the part of the University to study all segments of reality and society's obligation to alliviate suffering, taken together, can be considered sufficient ground for creating a separate place for psychotherapy in Academia.