The epistemology and classification of ‘madness’ since the eighteenth century

The process of divesting ‘madness’ from both meaning and mysteriousness started sometime during the middle of the eighteenth century. Although still pursued, this attempt at disenchantment ¹ is unlikely ever to be completed. Written into the deep consciousness of man, madness remains first and foremost a cultural object and it will never become a ‘natural kind’. ² This entry provides historical and epistemological information to understand this state of affairs. To begin with, some definitions are required.