Madness and Civilization in Early Modem Europe: A Reappraisal of Michel Foucault

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“…Det må sies at ikke alle har vaert enige i Foucaults fremstilling av galskapens historie. Forskning på middelalderlitteratur har vist at de spedalske sannsynligvis ble bedre behandlet enn det Foucault hevder, mens forholdene for de gale i førmoderne tid sannsynligvis var verre enn Foucault fremstilte dem (Midelfort 1994). Sinnssyke ble ofte innesperret i små fengselsceller.…”

“…Foucault var imidlertid sterkt kritisk til at Pinel fikk aeren for å ha frigjort de gale fra asylenes lenker (Midelfort 1994). I hans øyne var Pinel og hans kompanjong William Tuke oppfinnere av nok en dehumaniserende behandlingsform.…”

The State and Madness in Medieval Islam

“…They appeared superstitious and incoherent even by the professionally esoteric standards of the 17th century. 13 Dols himself admits that Islamic medical texts are largely non-clinical regarding insanity. In other words, they are-at least, for the modern reader-of cultural import only and can hardly convince readers of their scientific value.…”

Histoire de la folie : an unknown book by Michel Foucault

“…Nevertheless I propose here to examine briefly one such critique whose theses have been copiously praised and repeated in the literature, namely H. C. Erik Midelfort's essay 'Madness and civilisation in early modern Europe: a reappraisal of Michel Foucault' (Midelfort, 1980). Midelfort finds ground for extensive and damaging doubts as to the quality of Foucault's historical work.…”