My Way Edito 20 : Burning Questions
In this issue of My Way we see how scientific discourse comes to occupy an increasingly prominent place in the clinic and how this is also concordant with the ever increasing malaise in our civilization. The origin of this is situated by Jean-Claude Maleval at the time of the publication of the DSM-III in 1980. It was, he adds, a way for those who conceived of it, to bring psychiatry into science1. Following in this vein, Valérie Pera Guillot’s article reminds us of several major events which, since the 1980s, have rocked the French psychiatric clinic. But what science is at stake? Stéphanie Lavigne, in describing addiction studies, refers to a pseudo-science which “works to regulate those who consume too much”. These studies fail to take into account that which can be taken-up through psychoanalysis, the knowledge that jouissance is not countable. Célia Breton, for her part, evokes a limit with respect to the category of so-called female obsessional neurosis. René Raggenbass indicates how a Swiss law, enacted in 2015, requires psychiatrists and psychologists of the Valais region to point out signs of a risk of violence out to their patients. The author, in order to remind us of a sad truth, quotes R. Barthes: “Fascism, it’s not to prevent saying, it’s about obligating it”. This is an opportunity the recall that recently in Belgium a section entitled “Reporting the misuse of the title of psychologist” was added to the Psychologist’s Code of Ethics. Faced with this call for denunciation, Gil Caroz wonders “will scientism and populism march arm in arm when it comes to the production of exclusion, as well as in taking offence at the resultant growling protest?”2 Last but not least, an interview for PIPOL with journalist Michel Gheude, author of the essay “The Revolution is Not Over”, addresses, amongst other issues, the question of transparency in reporting on democracy. In short, this My Way offers a snapshot of the burning questions that we all ask ourselves…
Translated by Raphael Montague
