Madness and Civilization

About “Madness and Civilization”

Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason is a 1961 book by Michel Foucault that explores how the concept of madness changed in European culture from the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century. Foucault analyzes the roles of culture, law, politics, philosophy, and medicine in shaping the understanding of madness. The book also challenges traditional ideas about history and the methods used to study it. It is an academic work that focuses on the social and intellectual contexts of madness rather than on medical treatments. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)