Madness and Civilization

In 'Madness and Civilization,' Michel Foucault analyzes the historical development of the concept of madness in Europe from the late Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century.

The book critiques the idea of history and the historical method, particularly focusing on how social structures, laws, politics, philosophy, and medicine have influenced the perception and treatment of insanity.

Foucault explores the transition from a time when the mad were integrated into everyday life to the era when they were confined in asylums, highlighting the 'Great Confinement' and the emergence of the asylum as a new institution.

The work also delves into the philosophical and cultural shifts that led to the modern understanding of madness and its separation from reason.