Naturalism, Interpretation, and Mental Disorder

The philosophy of psychiatry can be seen as a unique area of research because the nature of the subject matter leads to rather unique methodological challenges. This book is unique in focusing on challenges that concern processes of interpretation and understanding and in integrating a hermeneutical perspective to understanding mental illness. Within the book, the reader will how learn such an approach can reveal more about historical sources in psychiatry and the nature of the dialogue in the therapeutic encounter than some of the more traditional psychiatric methods currently used today.

In addition, the book shows us how a hermeneutically informed approach can be valuable for understanding the concept of mental disorder itself, making it valuable for all those within the fields of psychiatry and philosophy of mind. Naturalism, interpretation, and mental disorder' brings fresh thinking to the field of philosophy and psychiatry, and will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of mental health and philosophy of mind.