VVZ API is not affiliated with ETH Zurich. Data might be outdated or incorrect. Please view the official ETHZ Vorlesungsverzeichnis for binding information.

851-0198-00L 3 Credits DS , DR , MSC D-GESS

Philosophy of Psychiatry

Does not take place this semester.
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:53:36

Abstract

Psychiatry is one of the most controversial areas of medicine because it is concerned with beliefs, moods, relationships, and behaviors. This course offers an overview of some representative topics in philosophy of psychiatry.

Objective

The objective of this course is to offer historical context and philosophical reflection on mental disorders and psychiatric practices.

Content

Psychiatry is one of the most controversial areas of medicine. All medicine involves some negotiation about assumptions and values, at the professional-patient and societal levels. For example, its clinical categories are imposed on the subject, who is interpreted according to a given physiological (but also political and economical) framework. However, because psychiatry is primarily concerned with beliefs, moods, relationships, and behaviors, this negotiation actually constitutes the bulk of its clinical endeavors. This course offers an overview of some representative topics in philosophy of psychiatry. Some of these are the character of mental disorders, the takeover of the mind by the medical model, the demarcation of normal and abnormal behavior, the influence of culture in the understanding of mental disorders, a critical understanding of the DSM and its evolution, and the interplay between psychiatry and legal responsibility.

General Information

Language
English
Levels
DS , DR , MSC

Examination

Type
graded semester performance

Registration & Places

Max Places
50

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture Philosophy of Psychiatry
Does not take place this semester.
No time listed 2 h weekly

Offered In