(1961) - Madness and Civilization - Michel Foucault

In his book, Madness and Civilization, Michel Foucault examines the problematic historical treatment of the mentally ill and the evolution of societal attitudes toward madness. He argues that the shift from a more open, tolerant approach to madness in the Renaissance to the later marginalization and institutionalization of the mentally ill in the Classical Age reflects broader changes in societal power structures. Foucault critiques how the rise of psychiatric institutions served not to heal but to control, segregate, and discipline those deemed mad, aligning mental illness with societal norms and power relations.