Conceptual foundations of schizophrenia: II. Disintegration and division

Abstract

Objective: This is the second of two papers that aim to identify some cultural themes and institutional processes that shaped the development of schizophrenia as a disease concept. Method: A number of domains within 19th century European history are explored for evidence of the concept of the divided or disintegrated person. These include German academic psychiatry, Mesmerism and hypnosis, neurology and neurophysiology, psychoanalysis and German Romantic literature, and its descendants within a wider European literature. Results: Representations of division or disintegration are evident in all these domains, enjoying widespread currency and penetration throughout the 19th century. Conclusions: These culturally based ideas, combined with the idea of degeneration, were important elements in the foundation of the schizophrenia concept.