title: Epistemological issues in the history of Italian psychiatry: the contribution of Gaetano Perusini (1879-1915).
abstract: In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Italian psychiatry was characterized by its emphasis on an organic explanation of mental illness. 'Cerebral mythology' was a major influence in Italy, at least until the second half of the twentieth century, often at the expense of the development of psychology. In this context, a few psychiatrists adopted a different epistemological perspective, based on a more 'integrative' view of their discipline. In particular, Gaetano Perusini stands out. He promoted the concept of psychiatry as a science which embraced many different fields, thus emphasizing the theme of pluralism, which is still debated today in the philosophy of science and psychiatric practice.
authors.affiliation: University of Milano-Bicocca roberta.passione@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Passione
mesh_terms: D000883:Anthropology / Q000266:history; D001519:Behavior; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000266:history* / Q000473:pathology; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000266:history*; D011599:Psychopathology / Q000266:history*
keywords: Cerebral mythology; Italian psychiatry; Perusini; history; pluralistic approach in psychiatry