Phenomenology and the history of psychiatry.
P J Beumont
The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry December 1, 1992 DOI: 10.3109/00048679209072085 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Humans Delusions Psychoanalytic theory Mental disorders Psychopathology History, 18th century History, 19th century History, 20th century Europe |
| Key points | Argues that psychiatry has misused the term phenomenology to mean objective symptom description, a synonym for clinical psychopathology. The author contends that phenomenology is a technical term whose meaning is distinct from, and in a way opposite to, objective psychopathology, and that this misuse risks the concept being forgotten. |
Abstract
Phenomenology is a word much abused in psychiatry. It has come to mean the objective description of the symptoms and signs of psychiatric illness, a synonym for clinical psychopathology as opposed to that other psychopathology which derives from psychoanalytic theory. Thus it is sometimes stated that the phenomenology of a condition is remarkably consistent although its psychopathology is varied. In truth, phenomenology is a technical term in psychiatry with a specific meaning quite distinct from and in a way opposite to that of objective psychopathology. The inappropriate use of the word is unfortunate not only for semantic reasons but also because there is a real danger that the concept to which it refers will be forgotten.