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MadnessNotes2

Duringthemiddleages,leprosyoccupiedaplaceinthemarginsofcommunities.

Fromthe14thtothe17thcentury,thespacesoccupiedbyleprosywereleftvacant,awaitinganother

grimaceofterror,renewedrightsofpurificationandexclusion.(3)

Althoughleprosywithdrew,thevaluesandimagesattachedtothefigureoftheleperremained. (6)

Themeaningofexclusionremainedandfearremained.

Intime,thepoorcriminalsandtheinsanewouldoccupythestructuralpositionsoftheleper.(7)

Characteristicofthisform;arigorousdivision,whichissocialexclusion,butspiritualreintegration.

Anewconceptionintherenaissance:TheShipofFools(originallyaliterarycreation)

Theseshipsreallyexisted. (8+)

Madpeoplewerehousedandprovidedforbyvariouscities,yettheyoccupiedaliminalposition,

meaningthattheybothallowedtoliveincities,butalsoconfinedthroughvariousrituals. (11)

Pg13Foucaultaskswhytheshipoffoolsmotifbecamesopopularinthe15thcentury. Answer:

Becauseitsymbolizedagreatdisquietsuddenlydawningonthehorizonattheendofthemiddleages.

(13) Awholeliteratureoftalesandmoralfablesbeginstocirculate,includingalargenumberofimages

inwoodcutsandengravings. Thegeneralanxietyhastodowithquestionspeoplearebeginningtoask

atthistime? (Renaissance,etc) However,thereisadifference(thegreatlineofcleavageinthewestern

experienceofmadness)inhowmadnessisrepresentedinimagesversuswriting.(18)

Images: Aproliferationofmeaning,dreams,madness,andtheunreasonablecanalsoslipintothis

excessofmeaning. Thepowerofimagesisnottoteach,buttofascinate.Whatisthisfascination? 1.

Animality 2. Knowledge forthemadmanseemstoperceivethedensityofaninvisibleknowledge

(22)3.ThelureofcuriosityTheforbiddendiabolicalpower. Onallsides,madnessfascinatesman.

Imagescommunicatewiththegreattragicpowersofthisworld.

Duringthesameperiod,theliterary,phi losophical,andmoralthemesofmadnessareinan

altogetherdifferentvein.(24)Madnessdoesnotfascinateanymore,itrulesallthatiseasy,joyous,

andfrivolousintheworld.(25)

Inageneralway,madnessisnotlinkedtotheworldanditssubterraneanforms,butrathertoman,to

hisweaknesses,dreams,andillusions.(26) Erasmus:Madnessislocatedwithintheindividual. The

Selfattachment,selfperception: Thisunderstandinggivesaccesstoamoraluniverse.Evilisnot

punishmentortheendoftime,butonlyfaultandflaw. (27) Erasmusobservesmadnessfroma

distance,outofdanger.

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MadnessNotes3

Summary: Anewenterprisewasbeingundertakenthatwouldabolishthetragicexperienceof

madnessinacriticalconsciousness. (28)WITHSOMEEXCEPTIONS,tobefoundinDonQuixoteand

KingLear,others.

(29+)The4formsofitsexpressionintheseexceptions:1.Madnessbyromanticidentificationthe

confusedcommunicationbetweenfantasticinventionandthefascinationsofdelirium,alltheformsof

thehumanimagination. 2. Themadnessofvainpresumptiontheimaginaryrelationwemaintain

withourselves. 3.MadnessofjustpunishmentladyMacbethsdeliriumisherproofofguilt4.

Madnessofdesperatepassionlovedisappointedinitsexcess...hasnoalternativebuttobemad.

Summary: Theseliteraryexamplestestifymoretoatragicexperienceofmadnessappearinginthe

15thcentury,thantoacriticalandmoralexperienceofunreasondevelopingintheirownepoch.

Outsideoftime,theyestablishalinkwithameaning,abouttobelost,whosecontinuitywillnolonger

surviveexceptindarkness.

Outsideoftime,theseliteraryworksestablishalinkwithatraditionofrepresentingmadnessthatis

eclipsedbyreason;itremains,though,indarkness(31);themadnessinCervantesandS.cannotbe

restoredtoeithertruthorreason;

Soon,madnessisdeprivedofitstragicseriousness(32);theclassicalexperienceofmadnessisborn

(35);notevenacenturyafterBosch,madpeopleareconfinedinmadhouses;Here,eachformof

madnessfindsitsproperplace,itsdistinguishingmark(35);madnessistamed(36).

Chapter2:TheGreatConfinement

Inseventeenthcentury,housesofconfinementareestablishedforthepoor,theunemployed,

prisoners,andtheinsane(39).Pinelandnineteenthcenturypsychiatrydoesitsworkinthesehousesof

confinement;madnessbecomeslinkedtoconfinementwhichbecomesdesignatedasitsnaturalabode.

1656:HospitalGeneralfoundedbyroyaledict(39);alsoSalpetriere,Bicetre,etc.Thesearenotmedical

establishments(40),butsemijudicialstructuresmeanttocontrolsocialspaceandtocleanpublic

spacesofproblempeople(41);administrativeentities;aninstanceoforder(41)orthemonarchical

andbourgeoisorderbeingorganizedinFranceatthattime.

TheChurchwasalsoinvolvedinthismovement;itreformeditsownhospitalinstitutions(42).

ThisphenomenonhappensacrossEurope(4344).

Whatstheunitythatliesattheheartofconfiningsuchadisparategroupofpeople(thepoor,themad,

criminals)?Asocialsensibilityforms(45),aclearlyarticulatedperceptionthatcentersontheethicof

workandthedreamcity(46).

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MadnessNotes4

Confinementwasapolicematter(46);theimperativeoflaborstructuresconfinement,notmedical

concerns(46);condemnationofidleness.

Whoarethepoor?Peasants,beggars,disbandedsoldiers,impoverishedstudents,thesick(47);

economicchanges,wars;thenegativemeasureofexclusionwastransformedintothepositivemeasure

ofconfinement(48):theconfinedpersonwasnotkickedout,butratherwasputtoworkinasystemof

obligationandmoralconstraint(48).Confinementwastheanswertovariouseconomicandsocial

problemsinthe17th

centuryacrossEurope(49);itwasfearedthepeoplewouldoverrunthecountry

(50).

Outsidetheperiodsofcrisis,confinementacquiredadifferentmeaning:itsrepressivefunctionwas

combinedwithanewusethoseconfinedwereputtowork(51);reabsorptionoftheidleandsocial

protectionagainstagitationanduprising(51).Workwasnotonlyanoccupation;itmustbe

productive(51).Houseshasdifferentspecialties.(5153).

However,housesofconfinementfailedasfixingtheeconomicproblemsofsociety(54);thepoorwere

stillpoor, notinpublicandasasocialthreat.Theydisappearedatthebeginningofthe19th

century;

however,theydidserveasanimportantexperimentinhowlaborwastoberegardedinsociety(55):a

certainethicalconsciousnessoflaborwasformulatedandestablished;laborseffectivenesswas

supportedbyJudeoChristianbeliefinthefallofman(55)manwasforcedtoworknotbyalawof

nature,butbytheeffectofacurse(55);Calvin.thesinofidlenessisthesupremeprideofmanonce

hehasfallen(56).Slothleadstheroundofvices(57).

Itwasinacertainexperienceoflaborthattheindissociablyeconomicandmoraldemandfor

confinementwasformulated(57).Societyinventsaspacederivedfromanethicaltranscendencefrom

thelawofworkintowhichtheinsanewereslotted(sinceputtingthepoorinthisspacehadfailed).

Madmenwereincludedintheprescriptionofidleness(57,bottom);theywouldbesubjectedtothe

rulesofforcedlabor;kinshipestablishedbetweentheinsaneandthepoorintermsofnotionsoflabor

(58).UntiltheRenaissance,madnesswaslinkedwithanimaginarytranscendence;intheclassicalage

madnessisperceivedforthefirsttimethroughthecondemnationofidleness;thisnotionacquiresthe

powerofsegregationandgainsthemeaningitstillhasinourownculture(58).Madnesscrossesthe

limitsofbourgeoisorderasamoralperception.

Housesofconfinementarethuscorrectionalinstitutions,moralinstitutions,penance(59).Obligation

toworkasethicalexerciseandmoralguarantee(59).Amazingshift:moralitypermitteditselftobe

administered

like

trade

or

economy

(61).

Institutions

carry

that

moral

imperative:

this

is

the

underside

ofthebourgeoisiesgreatdreamandgreatpreoccupationintheclassicalage:thelawsoftheStateand

thelawsoftheheartareatlastidentical(61).

Mythofsocialhappiness,alsofortheChurch(63);confinementconcealsbothametaphysicsof

governmentandapoliticsofreligion.Tyrannicalsynthesis(63);

Summary: p.64.