A psychoanalyst, a psychiatrist, a psychopathologist, and a biometrician debate the classification of behavior disorders by each presenting one paper and discussing another. Aspects discussed are the historical review of classification of behavior disorders and one current perspective; a cross-cultural approach to psychopathology and its implications for diagnostic classification; the classification of the psychotic disorders in childhood; and the psychiatric classification of behavior, a strategy of personal constraint. References are cited. (AJ)