Rediscovering psychopathology: the epistemology and phenomenology of the psychiatric object.
Josef Parnas, Louis Sass, Dan Zahavi
Schizophrenia Bulletin December 23, 2012 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbs153 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Humans Consciousness Mental disorders Psychopathology Knowledge History, 20th century |
| Key points | Argues that the neglect of ontological and epistemological questions about psychiatric symptoms and signs is a crucial source of stagnation in psychiatric research. The authors critique the "operationalist" epistemology of contemporary psychiatry, contending that symptoms cannot be understood apart from consciousness and subjectivity, and call for a multidisciplinary approach incorporating psychology, phenomenological philosophy, and philosophy of mind. |
Abstract
Questions concerning both the ontology and epistemology of the "psychiatric object" (symptoms and signs) should be at the forefront of current concerns of psychiatry as a clinical neuroscience. We argue that neglect of these issues is a crucial source of the stagnation of psychiatric research. In honor of the centenary of Karl Jaspers' book, General Psychopathology, we offer a critique of the contemporary "operationalist" epistemology, a critique that is consistent with Jaspers' views. Symptoms and signs cannot be properly understood or identified apart from an appreciation of the nature of consciousness or subjectivity, which in turn cannot be treated as a collection of thing-like, mutually independent objects, accessible to context-free, "atheoretical" definitions or unproblematic forms of measurement (as is often assumed in structured interviewing). Adequate and faithful distinctions in the phenomenal or experiential realm are therefore a fundamental prerequisite for classification, treatment, and research. This requires a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating (among other things) insights provided by psychology, phenomenological philosophy, and the philosophy of mind.
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| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 41
- Self-disturbance and schizophrenia: structure, specificity, pathogenesis (Current issues, New directions). Schizophrenia Research 2014
- Anomalous self-experience in depersonalization and schizophrenia: a comparative investigation. Consciousness and Cognition June 1, 2013
- Hallucinations Beyond Voices: A Conceptual Review of the Phenomenology of Altered Perception in Psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin February 1, 2019
- Disturbance of Intentionality: A Phenomenological Study of Body-Affecting First-Rank Symptoms in Schizophrenia PLoS One September 3, 2013
- Phenomenology and neurobiology of self disorder in schizophrenia: Secondary factors. Schizophrenia Research December 1, 2015
and 36 more in the library
Cites 5
- The phenomenology and neurobiology of delusion formation during psychosis onset: Jaspers, Truman symptoms, and aberrant salience. Schizophrenia Bulletin March 2013
- The psychiatric interview: validity, structure, and subjectivity. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience September 23, 2012
- The Phenomenological Mind December 22, 2007
- Schizophrenia, consciousness, and the self. Schizophrenia Bulletin 2003
- Research in psychopathology: epistemologic issues. Comprehensive Psychiatry 1995