VVZ API is not affiliated with ETH Zurich. Data might be outdated or incorrect. Please view the official ETHZ Vorlesungsverzeichnis for binding information.
Clinical Humanities, Health, and Democracy – Thinking about Political Transitions in the Postmodern
Humanités cliniques, santé et démocratie – Penser les transitions politiques à l’ère post-moderne
Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:14:27
Abstract
This course analyzes the current context of Western democracies facing paradigmatic challenges: Should we be increasingly distrustful of the rule of law? How can we characterize and overcome the testing of democratic institutions? Can we speak of a deficit in language, symbolism, and regimes of veridiction (Foucault)?
Objective
-The course will draw in particular on critical contributions from political and moral philosophy -It will also propose to study theoretical and practical avenues for developing new political models based on a redefinition of the rule of law and the promotion of democratic commons -Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of concrete socio-political and health experiments
Content
This course analyzes the current context of Western democracies facing paradigmatic challenges: Should we be increasingly distrustful of the rule of law? How can we characterize and overcome the testing of democratic institutions? Can we speak of a deficit in language, symbolism, and regimes of veridiction (Foucault)? How is the issue of planetary limits reshaping traditional models of production and consumption? Are we therefore facing a systemic fabrication of living conditions that are unworthy of human beings, exacerbating vulnerability and social and psychological precariousness, and undermining the very principle of human dignity? And can we, by mobilizing key concepts from the clinical humanities, efficiently rearticulate a reflection on individual health, public health, and democratic resilience to counter these postmodern drifts? The course will draw in particular on critical contributions from political and moral philosophy (dignity, vulnerability, resilience, social justice), while incorporating insights from institutional psychiatry (François Tosquelles, Jean Oury, Félix Guattari) and social psychology (Kurt Lewin, Stanley Milgram, Serge Moscovici) to diagnose contemporary forms of democratic pathologies (populism, authoritarianism, security abuses). It will also propose to study theoretical and practical avenues for developing new political models based on a redefinition of the rule of law and the promotion of democratic commons, which are essential for democratic regeneration and the preservation of ecological and social balances. Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of concrete socio-political and health experiments that open up avenues for resolving current conflicts and dilemmas: third places, alternative habitats such as “earthships,” practices for maintaining and repairing existing structures, the emergence of new critical epistemologies, etc. The course will also examine how the clinical humanities can foster fruitful dialogue between evidence-based medicine and evidence-based humanities, in order to enrich reflection and action in the fields of public health and democracy.
General Information
- Language
- French
- Levels
- DS , MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 50
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Humanités cliniques, santé et démocratie – Penser les transitions politiques à l’ère post-moderne |
|
28 h semesterly |
Offered In
-
Science in Perspective (In “Science in Perspective”-courses students learn to reflect on ETH’s STEM subjects from the perspective of humanities, political and social sciences. Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "Science in Perspective" courses.)
-
Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (SiP courses are recommended for bachelor students after their first-year examination and for all master- or doctoral students. All SiP courses are listed in Type A. Courses listed under Type B are only recommendations for enrollment for specific departments.)
-
-
-