Definition, foundation and meaning of illness: locating Georg Groddeck in the history of medicine.
The paper reviews and discusses Groddeck's conception of illness. I first argue that Groddeck was a late Romanticist as much as he was a "wild" psychoanalyst. Then I use Groddeck's scattered formulations regarding definition, foundation, and meaning of illness in order to articulate them in the form of more explicit scientific statements. Finally, I suggest that Groddeck's theory of illness is fundamentally different from current medical conceptions, which, nevertheless, does not make our dialogue with him either less useful or indeed less necessary. It is through an investigation of Groddeck's therapeutic attitude and the spirit of his work that psychoanalysis and medicine can build foundations of bold, innovative, and healing future.
Dimitrijevic
Aleksandar
A
Department of Psychology, Belgrade University, Serbia. adimitrij@ptt.yu
D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008149:Love; D011572:Psychoanalysis / Q000266:history*; D011573:Psychoanalytic Interpretation; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012803:Sick Role; D006113:United Kingdom