Psychiatric Diagnosis as a Political and Social Device: Epistemological and Historical Insights on the Role of Collective Emotions

The overarching aim of this contribution is to show how there are many elements in the making of a psychiatric diagnosis that are not confined to the nature of the “disease”—a topic that would require another work in order to be properly clarified—but rather that are grounded in the historical context and social elements. The circular and mutual influences of these elements contribute to forge certain epistemological frameworks that legitimize the use of certain diagnostic categories. This essay is divided into three sections. In the first section, we highlight how the notion of psychiatric diagnosis needs to be considered in light of some specific epistemological assumptions that deal both with theoretical principles, never mentioned in the most used diagnostic manuals, and with power relations. In the second section, we analyze the role of collective emotions in the making of a diagnosis and particularly their political implications. In the third section, we provide a historical and epistemological analysis of the birth of Asperger’s syndrome, highlighting the role of collective emotions and their ideological impact on this diagnosis.