The Mind and Its Discontents

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Grant Gillett argues that understanding mental illness requires more than just biological models; it necessitates an exploration of our social interactions. He emphasizes that human mental disorders stem from social rule-following, power relations within cultural norms, and how our mental lives are shaped by cumulative encounters with others. Drawing on philosophy of mind, epistemology, post-modern continental philosophy, and philosophy of language, Gillett elucidates psychiatric phenomena related to thought, perception, emotion, moral sense, and action. His chapters analyze significant psychiatric disorders such as depression, attention deficiency, autism, schizophrenia, and anorexia. Additionally, Gillett delves into memory, identity, hysteria, rational behavior, and the labeling of individuals as psychopaths or deviants. This insightful work offers crucial perspectives on the origins and nature of psychosis and has important implications for understanding and treating psychiatric disorders. It will engage researchers and postgraduate students across various fields, including psychiatry, bioethics, philosophy of mind, social theory, and clinical psychology, as well as practicing psychiatrists.