THE RELATION BETWEEN WATER AND MADNESS

ABSTRACT

In “L’Eau et la folie”, Michel Foucault points towards a possible relation between water and madness in the “Western imaginary landscapes” – a relation that already made herself present in Histoire de la folie. Through the analysis of some of the key points of that work, such as the emergence of the Ship of Fools between the 15^th and 16^th centuries, and the therapeutic-punitive uses of the water in the 17^th and 19^th centuries, we intend to examine the triad water-morals-madness.

Keywords:
Foucault; Madness; Water; Morals