Mental Disorders in Ancient Philosophy

Relying on original Greek and Latin textual sources, this book describes and analyses how the ancient philosophers explained mental illness and its symptoms as well as how they accounted for the respective roles of body and mind in such disorders.

This book offers a comprehensive study of the views of ancient philosophers on mental disorders. Relying on the original Greek and Latin textual sources, the author describes and analyses how the ancient philosophers explained mental illness and its symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, strange fears and inappropriate moods and how they accounted for the respective roles of body and mind in such disorders. Also considered are ethical questions relating to mental illness, approaches to treatment and the position of mentally ill people in societies of the times.

The volume opens with a historical overview that examines ancient medical accounts of mental illness, from Hippocrates' famous Sacred Disease to late antiquity medical authors. Separate chapters interpret in detail the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Galen and the Stoics and a final chapter summarises the views of various strains of Scepticism, the Epicurean school and the Middle and Neo-Platonists.

Offering an important and useful contribution to the study of ancient philosophy, psychology and medicine. This volume sheds new light on the history of mental illness and presents a new angle on ancient philosophical psychology.

First extensive study into ancient philosophical understanding of mental disorders Draws on original Greek and Latin textual sources to probe the views of ancient philosophers Considers in context the ancient concepts of mania, melancholy, delusion and hallucination Includes chapters on the views of Plato, Aristotle, Galen and the Stoics Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Auteur
Marke Ahonen is a University Lecturer in Classical Philology and a researcher at the Philosophical Psychology, Morality and Politics Research Unit at the University of Helsinki. Her research interests comprise ancient philosophy and medicine and the interaction between the two. Her publications include translations of several major ancient philosophical writings.

Contenu

Introduction.- Chapter 1. Medical and Cultural Background.- Chapter 2. Plato on madness and mental disorders.- Chapter 3. The Aristotelian concept of mental disorders.- Chapter 4. The Stoics on the kinds of madness.- Chapter 5. Galen on the diseases of the mind and soul.- Chapter 6. Other philosophical traditions.- Appendix A. Aristotle and Caelius Aurelianus on homosexuality.- Appendix B. Philosophers as mental patients in ancient tradition.