The Paradoxes of Delusion : Wittgenstein, Schreber, and the Schizophrenic Mind

Insanity—in clinical practice as in the popular imagination—is seen as a state of believing things that are not true and perceiving things that do not exist. Most schizophrenics, however, do not act as if they mistake their delusions for reality. In a work of uncommon insight and empathy, Louis A. Sass shatters conventional thinking about insanity by juxtaposing the narratives of delusional schizophrenics with the philosophical writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Insanity{u2014}in clinical practice as in the popular imagination{u2014}is seen as a state of believing things that are not true and perceiving things that do not exist. Most schizophrenics, however, do not act as if they mistake their delusions for reality. In a work of uncommon insight and empathy, Louis A. Sass shatters conventional thinking about insanity by juxtaposing the narratives of delusional schizophrenics with the philosophical writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein Contents Preface Abbreviations Introduction 1. A Mind's Eye World 2. Enslaved Sovereign, Observed Spectator 3. A Vast Museum of Strangeness Conclusion Notes Index