Minds and Madness (HPSC30019)

Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Semester 2
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What is the mind and what does it mean for the mind to go 'wrong'? And once it has gone wrong, how should it be treated? Once considered the seat of the soul, the human mind has been captured by science, reduced to a brain. Metaphysical explanations of madness (theological and magical) have been superseded by scientific theories (neurological and material), thus reshaping our understanding and experience of madness.

'Minds and Madness' explores this transformation by visiting a number of places of therapy, including: Bedlam and the asylum; the psychoanalysts couch; the battlefield; the operating theatre; and, the padded cell. In the process, we will introduce students to the dominant theories of madness over time (biological and psychosocial) and the therapies that have ensued. We will describe the exploits of the famous and the infamous; the mad-doctors, alienists, psychiatrists, quacks, analysts. And we will investigate how historians have made sense of this story.

Intended learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this subject will:




  • demonstrate a broad knowledge of the history and historiography of the historical and contemporary relationship between minds, madness and medicine;
  • synthesise, analyse and assess arguments about minds and madness, and contextualise these arguments within the broader realms of history and philosophy;
  • create effective arguments, backed up by convincing evidence, about the historical dynamics between minds, madness and medicine, and be able to express these to experts and interested non-experts alike;
  • develop high-level research skills, including the ability to extend your knowledge-base beyond subject materials, combining traditional library- and archive-based research with digital research;
  • engage with the world beyond the academy, through social media or other means;
  • develop effective communication and presentation skills (written and oral), and the ability to collaborate constructively within the classroom;
  • demonstrate ethical integrity in written work and classroom activities, including a deep ethical engagement with issues around mental health and illness.

Last updated: 14 March 2025