Tools, works of art, psychoanalysis.

The roots of psychoanalysis lie deep within the evolutionary history of human life and intelligence. In this article I will explore a set of evolving relationships between human beings and the artifacts they have created. The psychoanalytic treatment method is one such artifact, despite the apparent reluctance of many psychoanalysts to describe what they do in terms that might be interpreted to minimize the personal element in their work with their patients. But the personal element can be effectively understood only through the study of individual human beings interacting with their surroundings. Psychoanalysis is a lineal descendent of simpler and earlier interactions with a special group of artifacts, those that incorporate human meanings in a way that provides a continuous source of feedback information.