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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Madness and Civilization summary
A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason
19 mins
Brief summary
Madness and Civilization by Michel Foucault is a historical account of the evolution of mental illness as an object of social control, and how it reflects society's attitudes towards reason and irrationality.
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Madness and Civilization
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Key idea 1 of 6
After the Middle Ages, facilities set aside for leprosy sufferers began to be used for the mentally ill and other social outcasts.
In Europe, during the late Middle Ages from 1250 to 1500, so-called “madness” was understood differently from what it became hundreds of years later. People with psychological issues were essentially thought of as just being “different.” Some were even seen as having a wisdom that demonstrated the limits of reason.
During this time, most of those with a mental illness or disorder wandered freely, as long as they were in someone else’s backyard. If an alleged “madman” was found in one European city, he’d be sent to a sailor or merchant who’d drop them off in another city or a sparsely populated area of countryside.
This custom was particularly common in Germany: in fifteenth-century Nuremberg, records show how 31 of 63 mentally ill people were removed from the city in carriages and boats, while in Frankfurt, at the end of the fourteenth century, seamen were instructed to round up and remove any such people found wandering naked.
The practice of shipping off mentally ill city dwellers is where we get the phrase, “ship of fools,” a term popularized in literature and other artwork throughout the years.
Several works refer to the Narrenschiff, or “ship of fools,” which sailed the waters of the Rhine and Flemisch canals, carrying away the city’s “madmen”. Hieronymus Bosch, the famous Dutch painter, also captured this image in his painting, The Ship of Fools, made between 1490 and 1500.
It wasn’t until some years later, following the decline of leprosy in Western Europe, that those with mental illness began to be detained.
Leprosy is a contagious disease that affects the skin. When the disease spread across Europe, patients were confined to special facilities called lazar houses, located on the outskirts of cities.
When the leprosy outbreaks subsided in Europe, these facilities found a new purpose in detaining criminals, derelicts and people with mental illness. It’s perhaps unsurprising then that the new detainees began to be seen as carriers of disease. Just as medieval societies had come to marginalize and stigmatize the then-called “leper”, the societies of the classical ages did the same with these new people – thereby associating the term “madness” with being an outcast.
But it wasn’t just lazar houses that were holding people with mental issues. In the early eighteenth century, cities began to hold such people in fortified locations, such as the tower within the walls of Caen, France, known as the “Tour aux Fous.”
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What is Madness and Civilization about?
Madness and Civilization (1961) explores the bumpy road taken by European society in learning how to understand and treat mental illness. Famed philosopher and critic Michel Foucault offers insight into civilization’s troubled history of treating the mentally ill as social outcasts, wild animals and misbehaving children.
Madness and Civilization Review
Madness and Civilization (1961) is an enlightening exploration of the historical treatment of madness and the societal constructs surrounding it. Here's what makes this book truly captivating:
- With meticulous research and a comprehensive approach, it exposes the complex relationship between madness and power throughout Western history.
- The book challenges conventional notions of sanity and delves into the ways in which society defines and marginalizes those deemed "mad."
- By drawing from philosophical, literary, and historical sources, Foucault presents a rich and thought-provoking analysis that offers new perspectives on the nature of mental illness.
Best quote from Madness and Civilization
Seventeenth-century English physician Thomas Willis first recognized the alternation of mania and melancholia, known today as bipolar disorder.
—Michel Foucault
Who should read Madness and Civilization?
- Historians of Europe and medicine
- Those who want a greater understanding of mental illness and psychiatric institutions
- Readers interested in French philosophers and sociologists
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Madness and Civilization FAQs
What is the main message of Madness and Civilization?
Madness and Civilization explores the historical construction of madness and challenges conventional understanding of sanity and insanity.
How long does it take to read Madness and Civilization?
The reading time for Madness and Civilization depends on the reader's pace. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Madness and Civilization a good book? Is it worth reading?
Madness and Civilization is a thought-provoking book that offers insights into the social and cultural construction of madness. It's definitely worth reading.
Who is the author of Madness and Civilization?
Madness and Civilization is written by Michel Foucault.
What to read after Madness and Civilization?
If you're wondering what to read next after Madness and Civilization, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Discipline & Punish by Michel Foucault
- How to Be a Leader by Plutarch
- The Order of Things by Michel Foucault
- The Ethics of Ambiguity by Simone de Beauvoir
- Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace
- IRREPLACEABLE by Pascal Bornet
- Surrounded by Narcissists by Thomas Erikson
- The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill
- Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin
- SuperLife by Darin Olien
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