Madness and Civilization(English, Paperback, Foucault Michel) | Zipri.in
Madness and Civilization(English, Paperback, Foucault Michel)

Madness and Civilization(English, Paperback, Foucault Michel)

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Madness And Civilization traces the evolution of the idea of madness in European culture, society and the legal system over the ages. Summary Of The Book In Madness And Civilization, the author traces how the mentally ill were treated in different periods of European History. From the fear and fascination shown towards the mad in the Renaissance to the modern psychiatric treatment. In the Renaissance period, madness was looked upon as a fall from divine grace, yet these people were also perceived as possessing a sort of wisdom elusive to sane people. During the ‘Classical Age’ of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the mad were looked on as a sort of affliction upon the society. During this period, these people were grouped along with other ‘undesirables’ like beggars, debtors and dissidents. The author views this as the outcome of industrialization, urban culture and the idea that society had to be free from contamination by these negative elements. These people, including the mentally ill, were perceived as having deliberately chosen their fate, because of moral defects. They were confined, chained up, harassed and kept in isolation from the rest of the society. During the nineteenth century, another shift occurred. The mentally ill were separated from other delinquents. Attempts were made to cure their madness, though the methods applied were dubious. The harsh treatment of the mad during the previous centuries was toned down. Yet, these people were still viewed as being morally defective. They were kept imprisoned in mental asylums where their caretakers used subtle means to coerce them. Attempts were made to appeal to feelings of guilt and religious sentiments. They were treated as morally deficient who could be cured by constant discipline and chastisement. Madness And Civilization examines the complex relationship between madness and the larger society, the shifting views and treatments of madness. Even with the changing views, the author observes that the mentally ill were still subject to harassment and misunderstanding. The book also examines the emergence of a doctor-patient relationship between the mentally ill and their doctors, leading to the development of Freud’s concepts of psychoanalysis. About Michel Foucault Michel Foucault was a French philosopher. His other works include The Order of Things, The History of Madness and The Birth of the Clinic. Michel Foucault was born in 1926. He studied at Lycee Henri-IV and later at École Normale Supérieure. His main interests were in the concepts of the relationship between knowledge and power, and how this was used to exercise control over society. His first published work was The History of Madness. He was a lecturer at the University of Tunis and later became the Head of the Philosophy Department of Paris VIII, an experimental university. He was active in many left-wing groups, and was also involved in many human rights and anti-racist movements. He died in 1984.