Maine de Biran’s Conception of Melancholy
Between Medicine and Philosophy
Abstract
In this article, I propose to examine Maine de Biran’s conception of melancholy by exploring the fundamental link that exists in his work between medicine, philosophy and the writing of the self. I will pay special attention to Maine de Biran's Journal (1814-1824), where melancholy is not only the dominant mood but also the driving force of its writing. To begin with, I will show that there are two different understandings of melancholy in Maine de Biran. The first can be considered part of the modern and romantic conceptualization, and conceives melancholy as a sentiment that enables intelligence, creativity and self-reflection. The second derives from medicine and psychiatry in the 18th and 19th centuries, where melancholy is described as a disorder of the nervous system. I will then suggest that the experience of melancholy, which proves to be essential to Maine de Biran’s philosophy and writing, derives from the medical understandings.References
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