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The History of Madness and Mental Illness in the Middle Ages: Directions and Questions
Author(s) -
Craig Leigh Ann
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
history compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.121
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 1478-0542
DOI - 10.1111/hic3.12187
Subject(s) - scrutiny , mental illness , categorical variable , causation , agency (philosophy) , psychology , reading (process) , middle ages , psychiatry , developmental psychology , history , sociology , epistemology , social science , mental health , philosophy , linguistics , political science , ancient history , law , machine learning , computer science
This article explores the extent of recent publications on the history of madness and mental illness in the Middle Ages. It also argues that as this work continues, the categorical groupings of “madness” and “mental illness” deserve our close scrutiny. An exploration of both medieval and present‐day categorical assumptions reveals the ways in which they shape our reading of medieval texts, of historical causation, and of social agency.