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Philosophy of Mental Disorder: An Ability-Based Approach (Routledge Studies in Contemporary Philosophy)
by Sanja DembićThis book offers an ability-based view of mental disorders. It develops a detailed analysis of the concept of inability that is relevant in the psychiatric and psychotherapeutic context by drawing on the most recent literature on the concepts of ability, reasons, and harm. What is it to have a mental disorder? This book contends that an individual has a mental disorder if and only if (1) they are・in the relevant sense・unable to respond adequately to their available (apparent) reasons in their thinking, feeling, or acting, and (2) they are harmed by the condition underlying or resulting from that inability. The author calls this the “Rehability View.” This view can account for what is “mental” about mental disorders: it is the rational relations among an individual’s attitudes and actions that are “disordered,” and the relevant norms are the norms of reasons. This view is compatible with explanations of mental disorders in terms of biological dysfunctions, without reducing the former to the latter. The aim is not to offer just another conception of mental disorder, but to develop a systematic approach that incorporates insights from the philosophy of psychiatry and adjacent philosophical disciplines. Philosophy of Mental Disorder will be of interest to scholars and advanced students working in philosophy of psychiatry, philosophy of mind, philosophy of action, ethics, and mental health.
Philosophy of the Family: Ethics, Identity and Responsibility
by Teresa Baron Dr Christopher CowleyAlmost everyone grows up in a family, and family ties play an important role in daily life. But what exactly is a 'family'? What is a 'family tie'? We use the general concept of 'family' in many contexts – in fiction, in talk shows, in law, in politics – and yet one person's family may be strikingly different from another's. This introductory guide sets out to examine the multiple meanings of the family and related concepts. It explores the different roles played by these concepts in our attempts to understand who we are, where we belong, and what we owe to whom, and the relationships between individual, family, and society. Grounded in philosophy and ethics, the book also draws extensively from other disciplines such as law and sociology, discussing the concrete implications of these ideas for issues such as parental love, marriage and divorce, family autonomy, and assisted reproduction.
The Phone Fix: The Brain-Focused Guide to Building Healthy Digital Habits and Breaking Bad Ones
by Dr Faye BegetiWhat is really happening in your brain when you use your phone, and how to harness it.We pick up our phones on average 80 times a day, and approximately a quarter of our waking hours are spent in front of a screen. We self-interrupt our work and social lives, forgo sleep, procrastinate important tasks and opt for digital distraction when we're bored or feel uncomfortable. Worst-case scenario, we're told phone use is melting our brains, creating a mental health epidemic and machines are taking over the world.But how much of this is true and what can we do about it?NHS neurology doctor and neuroscientist Faye Begeti explains the science behind why we have formed so many fixed and negative habits around our devices. She reflects on both deliberate choices and automatic behaviours, whilst also challenging myths around digital 'addiction', the harmfulness of blue light and how dopamine functions in the brain.Rather than recommending a quick-fix digital diet or abstinence – unviable for most people and pointless given the way our brain works – The Phone Fix offers a practical guide, based on neuroscientific techniques, on building supportive digital habits. Begeti shows that technology is not inherently bad or frightening and that by better understanding what is happening in our brains, we can replenish our willpower and improve our focus, forming a healthier relationship with our phones – and therefore the people around us.
The Physician's Guide to Delusional Infestation
by Gale E. RidgeThis unique, ground-breaking book is a comprehensive clinical guide to the psychiatric disorder of Delusional Infestation (DI). DI is a psychiatric illness characterized by patients holding a monothematic fixed belief of infestations on their skin, body, or immediate environment - a belief that is not supported by objective medical evidence. Delusional beliefs may be shared among individuals, and perceived pathogens include living organisms such as parasitic worms, bacteria, fungi, and insects. Organic or non-organic infiltration by fibres, threads, or other inanimate particles or objects, known or unknown to medical science, are also described by patients. DI is severely underreported because of social stigma, limited physician awareness, and patient doctor-hopping.Written for physicians, the book offers a multidisciplinary, compassionate care model for patients burdened by this pernicious disorder. Other health professionals and administrators will find the work highly valuable, as will professionals in fields such as veterinary medicine, pest management, entomology, parasitology, and information services supported by academia.The Physician’s Guide to Delusional Infestation assembles and organizes all current knowledge of DI and presents material in three parts. Part I introduces and reviews DI’s historical background, showing how our understanding of the condition has developed. Its concise sections include useful tables, illustrations, algorithms, and reference lists for clinicians who work with DI patients.Part II covers differential diagnosis, treatment, and ways to work effectively with DI patients. Since these patients are often high-functioning, particular techniques of interviewing, joining with patients, sampling, and laboratory testing are explained. International travel, physician fallibilities, possible alternative diagnoses, the Internet, and veterinary and public health concerns are all addressed.PartIII is a series of chapters written by experts in their fields. This section allows each author to present personal experiences from their respective professions -- observations and opinions that show a variety of perspectives among the book’s authors. Part III includes a chapter on common human parasites with their biology, behaviours, and distributions. The book will serve as a comprehensive, yet concise, reference for physicians whose patients have unusual, baffling, or implausible medical histories and physical examinations. A soon to be gold-standard resource, The Physician’s Guide to Delusional Infestation equips and empowers all physicians -- and many others interested in the topic -- with an expert, comprehensive understanding of this complex disorder.
Placebo Effects in Sport and Exercise
by Philip Hurst Chris BeediePlacebo effects have been recognised by medicine and by science, yet only recently has systematic research begun to fully understand what they are and how they work. Sport and exercise scientists started systematic research to better understand the potential performance-enhancing effects of placebos as well as how a range of treatments are used in sport, from nutritional supplements to psychological interventions to sports medicine treatments. Placebo Effects in Sport and Exercise synthesises this field of research of the influence placebo effects have in sport and exercise. This book brings together many of the world’s leading and emerging placebo effect researchers to help readers gain an understanding of core research findings from within sports and exercise science as well as sport and exercise-related contributions from experts in anthropology, medicine, and neuroscience. Readers will gain an insight of what placebo and nocebo effects are, how they might influence sport and exercise performance and outcomes, and how they might significantly influence the effectiveness of performance and health interventions. The book investigates various practical and ethical implications for the sport and exercise practitioner, student, and researcher to consider. Can a placebo work if the athlete knows it’s a placebo? Should practitioners use placebos to enhance performance? Can the use of placebos reduce doping? Are some sports medicine treatments little more than placebos? With the rapid growth of applied sports medicine, as well as the concept of exercise as a mental health treatment in its own right, Placebo Effects in Sport and Exercise is key reading for students and researchers of sport psychology as well as those out in the field.
Placebo Effects in Sport and Exercise
Placebo effects have been recognised by medicine and by science, yet only recently has systematic research begun to fully understand what they are and how they work. Sport and exercise scientists started systematic research to better understand the potential performance-enhancing effects of placebos as well as how a range of treatments are used in sport, from nutritional supplements to psychological interventions to sports medicine treatments. Placebo Effects in Sport and Exercise synthesises this field of research of the influence placebo effects have in sport and exercise. This book brings together many of the world’s leading and emerging placebo effect researchers to help readers gain an understanding of core research findings from within sports and exercise science as well as sport and exercise-related contributions from experts in anthropology, medicine, and neuroscience. Readers will gain an insight of what placebo and nocebo effects are, how they might influence sport and exercise performance and outcomes, and how they might significantly influence the effectiveness of performance and health interventions. The book investigates various practical and ethical implications for the sport and exercise practitioner, student, and researcher to consider. Can a placebo work if the athlete knows it’s a placebo? Should practitioners use placebos to enhance performance? Can the use of placebos reduce doping? Are some sports medicine treatments little more than placebos? With the rapid growth of applied sports medicine, as well as the concept of exercise as a mental health treatment in its own right, Placebo Effects in Sport and Exercise is key reading for students and researchers of sport psychology as well as those out in the field.
Play Interventions for Neurodivergent Children and Adolescents: Promoting Growth, Empowerment, and Affirming Practices
by Robert Jason GrantThis revamped second edition provides several play interventions designed to address a variety of common mental health needs that neurodivergent children face, such as social navigation, regulation, relationship development, anxiety issues, identity struggles, and self-advocacy. Completely reorganized and with the addition of several new chapters, the book begins with a thorough presentation of how and why structured interventions are used with neurodivergent children. Special focus is given to understanding neurodivergence, relationship and rapport building, therapy planning and goal setting, how to create a structured play intervention, the therapeutic powers of play, the role and level of involvement of the therapist, theory integration, avoiding ableist practices, and parent involvement. The second half of the book covers a wide selection of play therapy interventions for use with neurodivergent children and adolescents. The structured interventions focus on need areas related to social navigation, emotional expression, regulation, sensory processing, connection and relationship development, executive functioning, strengths, self-advocacy, and identity. These structured play therapy interventions designed uniquely for neurodivergent children and adolescents will be valuable resources for any mental health professional working with neurodivergent youth.
Play Interventions for Neurodivergent Children and Adolescents: Promoting Growth, Empowerment, and Affirming Practices
by Robert Jason GrantThis revamped second edition provides several play interventions designed to address a variety of common mental health needs that neurodivergent children face, such as social navigation, regulation, relationship development, anxiety issues, identity struggles, and self-advocacy. Completely reorganized and with the addition of several new chapters, the book begins with a thorough presentation of how and why structured interventions are used with neurodivergent children. Special focus is given to understanding neurodivergence, relationship and rapport building, therapy planning and goal setting, how to create a structured play intervention, the therapeutic powers of play, the role and level of involvement of the therapist, theory integration, avoiding ableist practices, and parent involvement. The second half of the book covers a wide selection of play therapy interventions for use with neurodivergent children and adolescents. The structured interventions focus on need areas related to social navigation, emotional expression, regulation, sensory processing, connection and relationship development, executive functioning, strengths, self-advocacy, and identity. These structured play therapy interventions designed uniquely for neurodivergent children and adolescents will be valuable resources for any mental health professional working with neurodivergent youth.
Play Therapy Dimensions Model: New Insights for Integrative Play Therapists (3rd edition)
by Lorri Yasenik Ken GardnerAn updated take on a fundamental decision-making framework, this practical guide explores the dimensions of play therapy and how they apply to today's practitioner. In-depth case studies illustrate the interplay between theory and practice, demonstrating an integrative case conceptualization approach. Scales have been updated to reflect current best practice and developments in the field, and combine with the core decision-making framework for a deeper, expanded use of the model. New chapters delve into parent work and case conceptualization utilizing observational and self-reflective forms. Downloadable video content brings the text to life, including a new video illustrating the essentials of consultation with parents. The interface between practitioner and client also takes centre stage. New sections on self-reflection and cultural sensitivity guide you through ways to foster a welcoming, compassionate environment throughout your practice. Whether you're a seasoned play therapist or just starting out, this fresh take on the dimensions of play therapy will foster self-reflection of the who, what, when, why, and how of play therapy.
Play Therapy Treatment Planning with Children and Families: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals
Play Therapy Treatment Planning with Children and Families is a comprehensive guide that provides an integrative and prescriptive approach to creating customized treatment plans. It’s an excellent textbook for graduate programs in social work, counseling, and family therapy and an invaluable guide for practicing clinicians in all settings.After exploring and explaining the many modalities for treating children and adolescents, this book provides sample treatment plans using a variety of case vignettes. Chapters also take readers through a road map for case conceptualization, meeting with caregivers, problem identification, goal development, diagnosis determination, determination of interventions and termination, and much more.
Play Therapy Treatment Planning with Children and Families: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals
by Lynn Louise Wonders Mary L. AffeePlay Therapy Treatment Planning with Children and Families is a comprehensive guide that provides an integrative and prescriptive approach to creating customized treatment plans. It’s an excellent textbook for graduate programs in social work, counseling, and family therapy and an invaluable guide for practicing clinicians in all settings.After exploring and explaining the many modalities for treating children and adolescents, this book provides sample treatment plans using a variety of case vignettes. Chapters also take readers through a road map for case conceptualization, meeting with caregivers, problem identification, goal development, diagnosis determination, determination of interventions and termination, and much more.
Playing Sick?: Untangling the Web of Munchausen Syndrome, Munchausen by Proxy, Malingering, and Factitious Disorder (Routledge Mental Health Classic Editions)
by Marc D. FeldmanIn the classic edition of this outstanding book, originally published in 2004, Dr. Marc Feldman explores the bizarre cases of real patients who feign or even self-induce illness. Playing Sick? chronicles the devastating impact of illness hoaxes, including factitious disorders, Munchausen syndrome, Munchausen by proxy, and malingering. Based on years of research and clinical practice, Playing Sick? provides the clues that can help professionals, family members, friends, and patients themselves to recognize these diagnoses, avoid invasive procedures, and understand elusive motives. Dr. Feldman offers practical advice to get emotionally ill patients the help they need. This classic edition is essential reading for physicians, social workers, and anyone interested in why and how individuals fabricate illness.
Playing Sick?: Untangling the Web of Munchausen Syndrome, Munchausen by Proxy, Malingering, and Factitious Disorder (Routledge Mental Health Classic Editions)
by Marc D. FeldmanIn the classic edition of this outstanding book, originally published in 2004, Dr. Marc Feldman explores the bizarre cases of real patients who feign or even self-induce illness. Playing Sick? chronicles the devastating impact of illness hoaxes, including factitious disorders, Munchausen syndrome, Munchausen by proxy, and malingering. Based on years of research and clinical practice, Playing Sick? provides the clues that can help professionals, family members, friends, and patients themselves to recognize these diagnoses, avoid invasive procedures, and understand elusive motives. Dr. Feldman offers practical advice to get emotionally ill patients the help they need. This classic edition is essential reading for physicians, social workers, and anyone interested in why and how individuals fabricate illness.
A Pocket Guide to Risk Assessment and Management in Mental Health
by Chris HartRisk assessment and risk management are top of every mental health organisation’s agenda. This updated and expanded new edition provides an informative and practical guide to the process of undertaking a risk assessment, arriving at a risk formulation and developing a risk management plan. Covering everything a practitioner may have to think about when undertaking risk assessments in an accessible, logical form, the second edition of A Pocket Guide to Risk Assessment and Management in Mental Health includes new and expanded content on: risk formulation; working in forensic settings; specific mental health disorders; models of suicide and self-harm; and triage. It features practice recommendations rooted in the latest theory and evidence base, clinical tip boxes, tables, diagrams and case examples, along with samples of authentic dialogue which demonstrate ways to formulate questions and think about complex problems with the person being assessed. A series of accompanying videos, professionally made and based on actual case studies, are available on a companion website, further illustrating key risk assessment and management skills. This concise guidebook is designed for all mental health professionals, and professionals-in-training. It will also be a useful reference for all healthcare practitioners who regularly come into contact with people experiencing mental health problems.
A Pocket Guide to Risk Assessment and Management in Mental Health
by Chris HartRisk assessment and risk management are top of every mental health organisation’s agenda. This updated and expanded new edition provides an informative and practical guide to the process of undertaking a risk assessment, arriving at a risk formulation and developing a risk management plan. Covering everything a practitioner may have to think about when undertaking risk assessments in an accessible, logical form, the second edition of A Pocket Guide to Risk Assessment and Management in Mental Health includes new and expanded content on: risk formulation; working in forensic settings; specific mental health disorders; models of suicide and self-harm; and triage. It features practice recommendations rooted in the latest theory and evidence base, clinical tip boxes, tables, diagrams and case examples, along with samples of authentic dialogue which demonstrate ways to formulate questions and think about complex problems with the person being assessed. A series of accompanying videos, professionally made and based on actual case studies, are available on a companion website, further illustrating key risk assessment and management skills. This concise guidebook is designed for all mental health professionals, and professionals-in-training. It will also be a useful reference for all healthcare practitioners who regularly come into contact with people experiencing mental health problems.
Pocket Prescriber Psychiatry (Pocket Prescriber Series)
Pocket Prescriber Psychiatry, 2E is a concise, up-to-date prescribing guide containing all the 'must-have' information that psychiatrists and mental health professionals need to know.This book provides the key essential information for all mental health professionals prescribing drugs and is essential for psychiatrists, mental health nurses, primary care physicians, psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors and anyone caring for people with mental health issues.
Pocket Prescriber Psychiatry (Pocket Prescriber Series)
by Timothy Rj Nicholson Matt Butler Jonathan P RogersPocket Prescriber Psychiatry, 2E is a concise, up-to-date prescribing guide containing all the 'must-have' information that psychiatrists and mental health professionals need to know.This book provides the key essential information for all mental health professionals prescribing drugs and is essential for psychiatrists, mental health nurses, primary care physicians, psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors and anyone caring for people with mental health issues.
Polite: The Art of Communication at Home, at Work and in Public
by Louise MullanyThe first ever mass-market book on politeness and the important role it plays in our work, relationships and lives, from professor and pioneer of Politeness Theory, Louise MullanyAre women really more polite than men?What is the best way to apologise?And when is it OK to swear?Politeness rules our day-to-day lives, whether it's speaking to colleagues about issues at work, dealing with difficult family members or wondering if you should eat the last piece of pie. For years, Professor Louise Mullany has been examining the prevalence and power of politeness in our everyday speech and actions, and discovering what this says about us.In Polite, Louise shows how the unseen science of politeness governs everything we do, from what we say to how we act, and reveals how a better understanding of the rules and norms of politeness can help us in all aspects of our work, leisure and home lives.And, in doing so, she answers the age-old question... are politeness standards really declining?
A Political Psychoanalysis for the Anthropocene Age: The Fierce Urgency of Now
by Ryan LaMotheA Political Psychoanalysis for the Anthropocene Age presents an evaluation of the politics of climate change and considers how psychoanalysis can contribute to this discourse. Presented in two parts, the book first uses a psychoanalytic approach to interrogate political-economic realities and their impact on shaping Western political selves in the Anthropocene age. Ryan LaMothe identifies core illusions of the Western psyche and how they shape behavior and relations, as well as how they are implicated in various emotional responses to climate change like eco-mourning and eco-denial. Topics such as political dwelling, sovereignty, political violence and change, climate obstacles such as capitalism, nationalism, and imperialism, and the problem of hope are explored using psychoanalytic and philosophical perspectives. LaMothe then considers the role of psychoanalysis in the public-political realm, as well as how a psychoanalytic political perspective invites reforming the education and practice of psychoanalysis. A Political Psychoanalysis for the Anthropocene Age will be thought-provoking reading for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, as well as anyone interested in the politics of climate change.
A Political Psychoanalysis for the Anthropocene Age: The Fierce Urgency of Now
by Ryan LaMotheA Political Psychoanalysis for the Anthropocene Age presents an evaluation of the politics of climate change and considers how psychoanalysis can contribute to this discourse. Presented in two parts, the book first uses a psychoanalytic approach to interrogate political-economic realities and their impact on shaping Western political selves in the Anthropocene age. Ryan LaMothe identifies core illusions of the Western psyche and how they shape behavior and relations, as well as how they are implicated in various emotional responses to climate change like eco-mourning and eco-denial. Topics such as political dwelling, sovereignty, political violence and change, climate obstacles such as capitalism, nationalism, and imperialism, and the problem of hope are explored using psychoanalytic and philosophical perspectives. LaMothe then considers the role of psychoanalysis in the public-political realm, as well as how a psychoanalytic political perspective invites reforming the education and practice of psychoanalysis. A Political Psychoanalysis for the Anthropocene Age will be thought-provoking reading for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, as well as anyone interested in the politics of climate change.
The Politics of Curiosity: Alternatives to the Attention Economy (ISSN)
Through a variety of studies in the emerging field of attentional studies, this book examines and seeks alternatives to the current attention economy. Bringing together the work of leading scholars of ‘critical attention studies’ to reflect on issues such as techno-politics, socio-politics, and the politics of distraction, it offers a new and multi-disciplinary conceptualization of attention that emphasizes the connections between attention and curiosity, distraction, decoloniality and care. Above all, The Politics of Curiosity asks us to consider the nature and ambivalence of the curious forms of politics that might be taking shape in the shadow of our current attention economy.The “attention economy” has become a household name: we all know our attention is being harvested, commodified and packaged to be sold to advertisers by capitalist platforms. We all complain about it; some of us dream of disconnection; others call to fight back. By focusing on attentional deficits, and by reducing attention to being focused, however, the common view may miss wider stakes, and more promising opportunities. This collective volume provides a new frame of analysis based on three displacements. First, it relocates attentional issues within a triangulation that explores a continuum between attention, distraction and curiosity. Second, it invites us to investigate into the mental infrastructures that socially condition our perceptions and understandings of the world. Third, it points towards emancipatory politics of curiosity to provide alternatives to the attention economy. Contributions range from pedagogy to media theory, via digital studies, epistemology, sociology, political philosophy, literary history, aesthetics, film and dance studies. They gather some of the leading scholars who shaped the study of attention, questioned the values of distraction and explored the potentials of curiosity over the recent years. They extend across nine countries, four continents and seven languages, to provide a multicultural approach to these debates. Together, they help us understand how our current mental infrastructures have taken shape, under specific regimes of power and authority, in a world dominated by capital, colonialism and patriarchy. But they also sketch what can be done to redeploy them around imperatives of respect and care – from a better awareness of our mental biases, online behaviors and bodily movements, to our collective capacity to restructure classroom interactions, to launch alternative digital platforms, to build democratic movements.The first platform for discussion of the politics of attention and curiosity – and an essential point of reference for future debate – this book will appeal to scholars of sociology, politics and psychology.
The Politics of Curiosity: Alternatives to the Attention Economy (ISSN)
by Enrico Campo Yves CittonThrough a variety of studies in the emerging field of attentional studies, this book examines and seeks alternatives to the current attention economy. Bringing together the work of leading scholars of ‘critical attention studies’ to reflect on issues such as techno-politics, socio-politics, and the politics of distraction, it offers a new and multi-disciplinary conceptualization of attention that emphasizes the connections between attention and curiosity, distraction, decoloniality and care. Above all, The Politics of Curiosity asks us to consider the nature and ambivalence of the curious forms of politics that might be taking shape in the shadow of our current attention economy.The “attention economy” has become a household name: we all know our attention is being harvested, commodified and packaged to be sold to advertisers by capitalist platforms. We all complain about it; some of us dream of disconnection; others call to fight back. By focusing on attentional deficits, and by reducing attention to being focused, however, the common view may miss wider stakes, and more promising opportunities. This collective volume provides a new frame of analysis based on three displacements. First, it relocates attentional issues within a triangulation that explores a continuum between attention, distraction and curiosity. Second, it invites us to investigate into the mental infrastructures that socially condition our perceptions and understandings of the world. Third, it points towards emancipatory politics of curiosity to provide alternatives to the attention economy. Contributions range from pedagogy to media theory, via digital studies, epistemology, sociology, political philosophy, literary history, aesthetics, film and dance studies. They gather some of the leading scholars who shaped the study of attention, questioned the values of distraction and explored the potentials of curiosity over the recent years. They extend across nine countries, four continents and seven languages, to provide a multicultural approach to these debates. Together, they help us understand how our current mental infrastructures have taken shape, under specific regimes of power and authority, in a world dominated by capital, colonialism and patriarchy. But they also sketch what can be done to redeploy them around imperatives of respect and care – from a better awareness of our mental biases, online behaviors and bodily movements, to our collective capacity to restructure classroom interactions, to launch alternative digital platforms, to build democratic movements.The first platform for discussion of the politics of attention and curiosity – and an essential point of reference for future debate – this book will appeal to scholars of sociology, politics and psychology.
The politics of feeling in Brexit Britain: Stories from the Mass Observation Project
by Jonathan Moss Emily Robinson Jake WattsDuring Brexit, political questions were continually framed in emotional terms. The referendum was presented as a conflict between reason and resentment, fear and hope, heads and hearts. The Leave vote was interpreted as the triumph of passion over rationality, and its aftermath triggered concerns about the divisive impact of feelings on political culture. This book examines how these stories about feelings shaped public experiences and determined political possibilities.The politics of feeling uses first-hand accounts to explore how ‘ordinary’ people understand their own feelings about the referendum, and how they reacted to the feelings of others. It shows how they drew on public narratives, while also rejecting and reworking them. The authors highlight a dangerous contradiction whereby feelings were simultaneously understood as dangerous and illegitimate, and as an authentic reflection of our inner selves. This had its own political consequences.
The politics of feeling in Brexit Britain: Stories from the Mass Observation Project
by Jonathan Moss Emily Robinson Jake WattsDuring Brexit, political questions were continually framed in emotional terms. The referendum was presented as a conflict between reason and resentment, fear and hope, heads and hearts. The Leave vote was interpreted as the triumph of passion over rationality, and its aftermath triggered concerns about the divisive impact of feelings on political culture. This book examines how these stories about feelings shaped public experiences and determined political possibilities.The politics of feeling uses first-hand accounts to explore how ‘ordinary’ people understand their own feelings about the referendum, and how they reacted to the feelings of others. It shows how they drew on public narratives, while also rejecting and reworking them. The authors highlight a dangerous contradiction whereby feelings were simultaneously understood as dangerous and illegitimate, and as an authentic reflection of our inner selves. This had its own political consequences.
A Politics of Melancholia: From Plato to Arendt
by George Edmondson Klaus MladekWhy melancholia is a vital form of social critique and a catalyst for political renewalMelancholia is wrongly condemned as a condition of withdrawal and despair that alienates its sufferer from community. Countering that misconception, A Politics of Melancholia reclaims an understanding of melancholia not as an affliction in need of a remedy but as an affirmative stance toward decay and ruination in political life, and restores the melancholic figure—by turns inventive and destructive, outraged and inspired—to their rightful place as the poet of political thought.George Edmondson and Klaus Mladek identify pivotal moments of political melancholia in ancient and modern texts, offering new perspectives on the death of Socrates in Plato&’s dialogues, the fratricide in Hamlet, Woyzeck&’s killing of Marie in Georg Büchner&’s Woyzeck, the murder of Moses in Freud&’s thought, and the betrayal of the revolutionary idea that Hannah Arendt identifies in her critique of eighteenth-century revolutions. Melancholia emerges here as a disposition that is mournful but also jubilant, a mood of unbending disconsolation that remains faithful to a scene of downfall, to events that cannot be forgotten, and to things that cannot be governed.Recovering a tradition of thought that is both affirmative and hopeful, this eloquent book reveals how political melancholia embodies a shared condition of discontent that binds communities together and inspires change.