Neurosis - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Neurosis, a term once central to psychological understanding, represents a complex array of mental, emotional, and behavioral disturbances, the essence of its significance lying in its manifestation of inner conflict and distress, often without a clear connection to reality, a mystery that has captivated clinicians and philosophers alike. Though replaced in contemporary diagnostic manuals with terms like anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and personality disorders, the concept of neurosis persists in popular culture and theoretical discussions, subtly inviting us to question whether these modern categories fully capture the nuances of human suffering.
The term "neurosis" gained prominence in the late 18th century, attributed to the Scottish physician William Cullen around 1769 who used it to describe a class of nervous disorders that were not caused by any discernible physical lesion. This era coincided with the Enlightenment, a period of intense intellectual ferment marked by thinkers like Immanuel Kant grappling with the nature of reason, morality, and autonomy, framing discussions that provided the ground for later considerations of the self and its pathologies. The budding scientific inquiry, including early explorations of what we now call cognitive bias, offered new lenses through which to view human behavior, setting the stage with conceptual precursors to the wason test and the monty hall problem. Cullen’s classification, while rudimentary by modern standards, reflected an emerging awareness of psychological distress as distinct from purely physical ailments.
The concept of neurosis underwent a dramatic transformation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, largely due to the work of Sigmund Freud and the development of psychoanalysis. Freud posited that neuroses arise from unconscious conflicts, repressed desires, and unresolved childhood experiences. His theories, elaborated in works such as "The Interpretation of Dreams" (1899) and "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" (1920), sparked both intense interest and fierce debate, profoundly shaping our understanding of the human psyche. His influence permeated culture, inspiring art, literature, and film, reflecting humanity's struggles with alienation and existential crisis, influencing even the arts in its representations of people searching for meaning in the face of apparently random events governed by nothing one can control. Carl Jung, initially a disciple of Freud, later diverged to formulate his own analytical psychology, proposing concepts like the collective unconscious and archetypes, further enriching the landscape of psychological theory. The evolution of neurosis as a concept mirrors the broader intellectual currents of the time, including the rise of existentialism, with thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus exploring themes of freedom, responsibility, and the absurdity of existence: such exploration is often seen as an intellectual tool for helping people overcome the anxiety that would otherwise render them passive. Freud’s followers were active participants in a global conversation about the human condition, including explorations of fairness test, the application of syllogism and the examination of valid vs invalid arguments, often including explorations of a moral dilemma.
While largely absent from contemporary diagnostic manuals, the legacy of neurosis endures in our cultural lexicon and continues to inform our understanding of the human condition. The term evokes a sense of internal struggle, unresolved conflict, and the complexities of the human psyche, resonating with contemporary anxieties about identity, purpose, and the meaning of life. The exploration of the concept, now often framed through the lens of moral psychology and experimental philosophy, invites us to consider the relationship between moral intuition and conscious reasoning, raising fundamental questions about the nature of the moral principles that guide our actions and the extent to which we are truly rational actors. As a topic, it remains an invitation to explore the depths of human experience and the enduring quest for self-understanding.