SincethetimeofHippocrates,madnesshastypicallybeenviewedthroughthelensofdisease,dysfunction,anddefect.Madness,likeallotherdisease,happenswhensomethinginthemind,orinthebrain,doesnotoperatethewaythatitshouldorasnatureintended.Inthisparadigm,theroleofthehealerissimplytofindthedysfunctionandfixit.Thisremainsthedominantperspectiveinglobalpsychiatrytoday.InMadness:APhilosophicalExploration,philosopherofscienceJustinGarsonpresentsaradicallydifferentparadigmforconceivingofmadnessandtheformsthatittakes.Inthisparadigm,whichhecallsmadness-as-strategy,madnessisneitheradiseasenoradefect,butadesignedfeature,liketheheartorlungs.Thatistosay,atleastsometimes,whensomeoneismad,everythinginsideofthemisworkingexactlyasitshouldandasnatureintended.ThroughrigorousengagementwithtextsspanningtheclassicaleratoDarwinianmedicine,Garsonshowsthatmadness-as-strategyisnotanewconception.Thus,morethanahistoryofscienceoraconceptualgenealogy,Madnessisarecoverymission.Inrecoveringmadness-as-strategy,itleadsusbeyondtoday’sdominantmedicalparadigmtowardaverydifferentformofthinkingandpractice.Thisbookisessentialreadingforphilosophersofmedicineandpsychiatry,particularlyforthosewhoseektounderstandthenatureofhealth,disease,andmentaldisorder.Itwillalsobeavaluableresourceforhistoriansandsociologistsofmedicineforitsinnovativeapproachtothehistoryofmadness.Mostimportantly,itwillbeusefulformentalhealthserviceusers,survivors,andactivists,whoseekanalternativeandliberatingvisionofwhatitmeanstobemad.
