Joel Krueger, University of Exeter

Loneliness, absence, and mental health in psychopathology and beyond
Joel Kreuger

Description

Semester: 
Fall 2023
Lecture Time: 
Friday, September 15, 2023 - 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Lecture Location: 

R0240, Ross building

Abstract

Most of us experience loneliness at some point in our lives. It’s even come to be regarded as an urgent public health concern. However, until recently, philosophers have had little to say about it — including those working in phenomenological psychopathology, which investigates experiential disturbances of an individual’s relation to themselves, others, and the wider world. In this talk, I consider the importance of loneliness for psychopathology and beyond. Building on work with Lucy Osler and Tom Roberts, I explore the experiential character of loneliness, with a specific emphasis on how “social goods” are experienced as absent in ways that involve a diminished sense of agency and recognition. I consider three case studies — depression, anorexia, and autism — and argue for the need to attend to psychopathology-specific expressions of loneliness, agency, and (non-)recognition. I also briefly consider the broader significance of this topic, including loneliness and mental health in the workplace.

Recording & Additional Notes