ABSTRACT
In this paper, I analyze General Psychopathology, the seminal psychopathological work of the philosopher and psychiatrist Karl Jaspers, from a dialectical perspective, showing how it can contribute to contemporary psychiatry. Dialectical interpretations of this work are still scarce and generally address the part of the work in which Jaspers makes direct reference to dialectics. Instead, I expose the implicit dialectic by which the overall form of the work is organized. I take the "psychology of meaning" as an example for this dialectical account. I suggest two consequences of this dialectical account of the "psychology of meaning" for psychopathology, which I call intrisec ambiguity and epistemic particularism. Finally, I conclude by pointing out how both notions help shed some epistemological and pragmatic light on the discipline of psychiatry, in a sustained state of crisis.
Neste trabalho, analiso a Psicopatologia Geral, o trabalho psicopatológico seminal do filósofo e psiquiatra Karl Jaspers, por uma perspectiva dialética, mostrando como esta pode contribuir para a psiquiatria contemporânea. As interpretações dialéticas deste trabalho ainda são escassas e geralmente abordam a parte do trabalho na qual Jaspers faz referência direta à dialética. Em vez disso, exponho a dialética implícita pela qual a forma geral do trabalho é organizada. Tomo a "psicologia compreensiva" como um exemplo para este relato dialético. Sugiro duas conseqüências dessa apreensão dialética da "psicologia compreensiva" para a psicopatologia, que denomino ambiguidade intrínseca e particularismo epistêmico. Finalmente, concluo apontando de que modo ambas as noções ajudam a lançar alguma luz epistemológica e pragmática sobre a disciplina da psiquiatria, em contínuo estado de crise.
Dans cet article, j'analyse la Psychopathologie générale, l'ouvrage psychopathologique fondamental du philosophe et psychiatre Karl Jaspers, d'un point de vue dialectique, en montrant comment il peut contribuer à la psychiatrie contemporaine. Les interprétations dialectiques de cet ouvrage sont encore rares et portent généralement sur la partie de l'ouvrage dans laquelle Jaspers fait directement référence à la dialectique. En revanche, j'expose la dialectique implicite par laquelle la forme générale de l'ouvrage est organisée. Je prends la "psychologie compréhensive" comme exemple pour ce compte-rendu dialectique. Je suggère deux conséquences de cette appréhension dialectique de la "psychologie compréhensive" pour la psychopathologie, que je qualifie d'ambiguïté intrinsèque et de particularisme épistémique. Enfin, je conclus en montrant comment ces deux notions permettent d'éclairer d'un point de vue épistémologique et pragmatique la discipline psychiatrique, qui est en état de crise continue.
En este artículo analizo la Psicopatología General, la obra psicopatológica seminal del filósofo y psiquiatra Karl Jaspers, desde una perspectiva dialéctica, mostrando cómo puede contribuir a la psiquiatría contemporánea. Las interpretaciones dialécticas de esta obra son todavía escasas y suelen abordar la parte de la obra en la que Jaspers hace referencia directa a la dialéctica. En cambio, yo expongo la dialéctica implícita mediante la cual se organiza la forma general de la obra. Tomo la "psicología comprensiva" como ejemplo de este relato dialéctico. Sugiero dos consecuencias de esta aprehensión dialéctica de la "psicología comprensiva" para la psicopatología, que denomino ambigüedad intrínseca y particularismo epistémico. Finalmente, concluyo señalando cómo ambas nociones contribuyen a arrojar alguna luz epistemológica y pragmática sobre la disciplina de la psiquiatría, que se encuentra en contínuo estado de crisis.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to clarify the roles of personality characteristics and general psychopathology, including depression and hypochondriasis, in individuals with eating disorders, and to test a continuum hypothesis of eating disorders. METHODS: Using a multi-stage questionnaire sampling method including area sampling, proportionated stratified sampling, and quota sampling, we surveyed 3,062 subjects(1249 males and 1813 females) from a target of 4,400 Korean adults over the age of 18 in a nationwide area(9 ku's, 10 middle or small cities, and 17 kun's). We used the questionnaire which consisted of three parts:general information, scales for eating traits, and scales for personality characteristics and other general psychopathology. RESULTS: Psychoticism was the only personality characteristics which had a significant relationship with various eating traits including 'eating habits'(r=-0.3195), 'the Eating Attitudes Test'(EAT, r=0.3657), and 'preference for vegetables and fish, and dislike for sweet,tasting foods'(r=-0.2740). Lie scale also had a significant relationship with 'preference for snacks and instant foods'(r=-0.2117). These results were consistent in examining the relationships across genders. In female, there was a significant relationship between 'preference for the traditional Korean foods' and 'psychoticism'(r=-0.2103) in addtion to above relationships. However, there were no significant relationships between any of the eating traits and other psychopathology. Relative to the relationship between personality characteristics and general psychopathology, there were significant correlations between 'depression' and 'interoversion-extraversion'(r=-0.2174), 'depression' and 'neuroticism'(r=0.4510>, and 'hypochondriasis' and 'neuroticism'(r=0.3432). These correlations in female was the same as those of the total group, while among males, 'depression' was significantly correlated with all four personality characteristics, and 'hypochondriasis' was significantly correlated with 'interoversion-extraversion'(r=-0.2265) and 'neuroticism'(r=0.3762). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that psychoticism is the only personaltiy characteristics related to eating-specific psychopathology, while general psychopathology, such as depression and hypochondriasis is not related to eating pathology but may influence eating disorders by their interaction with other personality characteristics, such as interoversion-extraversion and neuroticism. Considering the results of previous studies in the patients with eating disorders and high risk groups, which are similar with our results in the general population, our results support a continuum hypothesis of eating disorders. Our results also suggest that gender differences in the pathology of eating disorders are the result not of difference in eating-specific pathology itself but through difference in influences of concurrent general psychopathology, such as depression and hypochondriasis.