Faust and the History of Sanity: The Social Representations of Mental Health

Abstract

Introduction: The article analyzed sanity as a social construct, shaped by various discourses throughout history. It examined how sanity, beyond mental health, was expressed in language, art, and literature. From the 19th century onwards, its conceptualization was influenced by modern science and psychiatry, establishing it as a form of social control.
Development: The evolution of the concept of sanity was explored from Antiquity to modern times. In the Middle Ages, it was associated with prudence and cardinal virtues, whereas in the 19th century, it took on a normative role within the psychiatric field. Foucault pointed out that psychiatric power used sanity as a mechanism of control. Freud, in turn, questioned the existence of absolute sanity and highlighted the arbitrariness of its definition. Furthermore, literature reflected these ideas; in Faust, Goethe ridiculed modern reason and its impact on the construction of sanity.
Conclusion: The article concluded that sanity did not have a single or universal meaning but rather varied according to historical contexts and power relations. Its conceptualization depended on philosophical, scientific, and artistic discourses, demonstrating that it cannot be objectively defined. Through Faust, Goethe criticized modern rationality and showed how sanity became a socially constructed illusion.