Philosophy at Lancaster is home to a cluster of researchers and PhD students working in the philosophy of psychiatry.
We organise a fortnightly reading group during term time, an annual Philosophy of Psychiatry Work in Progress Workshop, and occasional public lectures and conferences.
Rachel’s recent research has focussed on conceptual issues related to the classification of psychopathology, and on concepts of health and disorder. Much of her research integrates work in the history of psychiatry with philosophy of science. Rachel has published three monographs to date Diagnosing the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Karnac, 2014), Psychiatry and the Philosophy of Science (Routledge, 2007), and Classifying Madness (Springer, 2005). She is currently completing a monograph on the concepts of health and disorder. She'd be very happy to hear from potential PhD students seeking supervision in the philosophy of psychiatry, or philosophy of medicine more broadly.
Sam's research is in six main areas. Firstly, defending the epistemological status of psychiatric diagnoses by portraying them metaphysically as scientific models. Secondly, understanding how lived experience provides knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses through expert-by -experience research given that psychiatric diagnoses are models. Thirdly, self-diagnosis in psychiatry, especially the accuracy of self-diagnosis given that psychiatric diagnoses are models. Fourthly, autism and empathy, especially the relationship between the double empathy problem and cognitive and affective empathy. Fifthly, the scope and boundaries of neurodiversity. Sixth, the history of autism, especially the 1950s to 1970s. More information about Sam's work can be found at www.samfellowes.com and upon Sam's podcast Philosophy of Psychiatric Diagnoses.
Hane is a philosopher whose research addresses the conceptual, metaphysical, and ethical issues raised by the concept of disease, the role of diagnosis, and the proper domain of healthcare. He has a PhD in Philosophy from Lancaster University. Previously, he graduated with an MB BChir in Medicine from the University of Cambridge and obtained an MRCPsych from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He currently works as a clinical ethicist for Pride in Health, which is an independent provider of gender affirming healthcare.
Floris has held AHRC and Wellcome Trust funding and is at present an honorary researcher at Lancaster University interested in the philosophy of mental health. He has co-authored Trust in Healthcare and written two further single authored books: Vulnerable Bodies and Remembering and Disremembering the Dead. He also has written about rational suicide, anorexia, the psychology, and ethics of amputation and self-demand amputation and issues around inequality and reasonableness in the treatment of madness (both in the specific context of sectioning and in the assessment of what does and does not count as reasonable social behaviour). He is currently writing about the philosophical practice of forgiveness and is thinking through sociability and flourishing in dementia care settings.
Jacob is researching the history and conceptual construction of ADHD through a Foucauldian lens, taking in elements from Ian Hacking's work on transitory diagnoses and the recent philosophy of attention. He has an ADHD diagnosis himself, and is interested in the discursive relationships between science and political advocacy in the relation to mental disorders.
David is a second year part-time PGR student researching into how the moral philosopher Charles Taylor's views on personal identity and the self could inform our understanding of mental ill-health. His research is co-supervised by Rachel Cooper and Sam Clark. David's other roles are the clinical lead at www.themarietrust.org.uk and convenor of www.smmhep.org.uk and he can be found via d.crossley@lancaster.ac.uk
Juliana is a Colombian PGR currently completing her PhD in Philosophy. Her research focuses on analysing from a Gender perspective the lived experiences of men and women diagnosed with ASD or BPD, to understand more profoundly how the interactions with the UK Mental Health System impact their daily lives. She is interested in multidisciplinary approaches, and her main areas of work are Feminist Philosophy, Philosophy of Psychiatry, and Political and Moral Philosophy.
David’s research focuses on the concepts of harm and wellbeing and late 18th and early 19th century debates and theories regarding the suitable care and confinement of the mentally ill. David's research is co-supervised by Rachel Cooper (philosophy) and Mike Brown (history). He is also the current PGR Faculty Rep for FHASS. Email: d.j.gott@lancaster.ac.uk
The reading group meets fortnightly during term time. We are currently reading Justin Garson’s book Madness.
Our annual workshop provides an informal forum where PhD students, and more experienced researchers, can present and discuss short works in progress.
