The Language of Melancholy: A Historical-Philosophical Exploration of Its Potential

Author:   Robert Vinkesteijn (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
ISBN:  

9781032786711


Pages:   254
Publication Date:   30 September 2025
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
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The Language of Melancholy: A Historical-Philosophical Exploration of Its Potential


Overview

This book explores how the demise of the traditional language of melancholy lies at the root of contemporary difficulties in engaging with darker aspects of human affective experience. Melancholy – or melancholia – was a concept transmitted for millennia through a living tradition involving philosophers, physicians, poets, theologians, novelists and artists. Over the years, varied analogies, metaphors, images and ideas amassed around this notion of melancholy, and those suffering from it had powerful means to speak and write about their experiences. After the discarding of melancholy as a diagnostic entity in the 20th century for the specialized professional discourse of anxiety and depressive disorders, this rich language, unfortunately, also disappeared from the public eye. Vinkesteijn reexamines the philosophical and existential value of this language, drawing the figures and images of its tradition out of the shadows, and showcasing its beauty and expressive potential in their own words. This volume will be of interest to a broad audience of academics, students, and general readers interested in the history of ideas, philosophy, psychiatry, mental illness, and the historical and contemporary cultural discourse of depressive disorders.

Full Product Details

Author:   Robert Vinkesteijn (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.480kg
ISBN:  

9781032786711


ISBN 10:   103278671
Pages:   254
Publication Date:   30 September 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

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Author Information

Robert Vinkesteijn is a researcher at Utrecht University. His research focuses on ancient Greek philosophy and its reception. He has previously published Philosophical Perspectives on Galen of Pergamum.

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