Itten Theodor

Focused on the life and work of Francis Huxley, this book offers an exploration of the search to understand the human condition, one which is simultaneously biographical, philosophical, cultural, historical, political and epistemological. A member of the illustrious Huxley dynasty, Francis Huxley forged an unusual and innovative career, making key contributions to social anthropology, mental health care and the protection of indigenous peoples. His story reveals how the production and dissemination of ideas can be understood in an intergenerational context which is familial and sociological. The book reflects on the contemporary relevance of Huxley's work, forging links between the central philosophical, cultural, scientific and political themes that dominate the turbulent early 21st century and the enduring questions that have driven human beings in the search to understand themselves and their place in the world. It will be of interest to scholars from across the social sciences and humanities.

The psychotherapeutic legacy of R. D. Laing and his new take on Scottish psychodynamic psychiatry, in whose heritage he practised – “the patients are like you and me” – are explored. His testimony of experience as a psychoanalyst and theoretician, within the field of so-called “anti-psychiatry”, “radical psychiatry” and “avanti-psychiatry”, with the anger and outrage expressed towards the impersonal nature of modern psychiatry, the malign influence of the pharmaceutical industry, the alienating character of modern university education, spanning from the mid 1960’s to late 1980’s, are critically elaborated. The focus of the New Politics of Experience on radical social thinking and interdisciplinary study is based on social phenomenological empirical research and the development of an integrative psychotherapeutic approach.