The Matrix of Madness

Why has the number of mental illnesses and nervous disorders increased in our era? Why do mass psychoses engulf entire nations? Why is there so much clearly expressed abnormality and schizophrenic deviation in politics, journalism, and culture? What is the symbolism of madness, and is there a hidden meaning in it? Carl Gustav Jung and Michel Foucault, whose works are presented in this book, answer this question in different ways. The outstanding Swiss scientist and psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung believed that the increase in mental illnesses is due to modern society's forgetting of the basic principles of human existence. In turn, the French structuralist philosopher Michel Foucault argued that madness is the price paid for progress, which establishes certain boundaries for the subconscious processes of the human psyche. This collection includes the works of Jung and Foucault dedicated to the causes and symbolism of madness in the modern world, as well as the history of madness in Western society.