{"product_id":"the-divided-self-laing-0140135375","title":"El yo dividido: Un estudio existencial de la cordura y la locura (Penguin Psychology)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eWhat is 'The Divided Self'?\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst published in 1960, \u003cem\u003eThe Divided Self: An Existential Study in Sanity and Madness\u003c\/em\u003e is a seminal work by Scottish psychiatrist R. D. Laing. This book, part of the Penguin Psychology series, combines existential philosophy with clinical psychology to offer a radical understanding of schizophrenia and the psychotic experience. Laing proposes a humanistic and phenomenological approach that moves away from the dominant biomedical model, seeking to understand the inner world of those diagnosed with mental disorders.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eR. D. Laing's central thesis\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaing argues that madness is not simply a biological disorder, but a comprehensible response to social and familial pressures that threaten the integrity of the self. He introduces the concept of the 'divided self' to describe how a person can feel split between a true self and a false self, adapted to external demands. For Laing, psychotic symptoms are not mere senseless disorders, but attempts to preserve identity in an environment that denies it. This existential perspective seeks to restore humanity to those who suffer, understanding their experience from within.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eHistorical context and influence\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaing's work emerged at a time of great ferment in psychiatry and the counterculture of the 1960s. His critical approach to traditional psychiatric institutions made him a key figure in the anti-psychiatry movement. Although some of his theories have been criticized or nuanced by later research, his influence endures in fields such as humanistic psychology, philosophy of mind, and critical mental health studies. The book invites us to rethink the relationship between sanity and madness, and questions diagnostic labels that often dehumanize patients.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBook structure and content\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book is organized into several sections that progressively develop the theory of the divided self. Laing uses detailed clinical cases to illustrate his ideas, showing how experiences of depersonalization, anxiety, and fragmentation can be understood as responses to extreme existential situations. Throughout the work, the author combines philosophical tradition (with references to Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre) with clinical observation, creating a text that is both academic and profoundly human.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCurrent relevance\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eToday, 'The Divided Self' remains essential reading for students and professionals in psychology, psychiatry, and philosophy. Its phenomenological approach has influenced the development of person-centered therapies and narrative approaches to mental health. Although biological psychiatry has advanced enormously, Laing's work reminds us of the importance of listening to the patient's subjectivity. The book has also found a wider audience among readers interested in the nature of identity and consciousness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eEdition and features\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis Penguin Psychology edition offers the complete text in its original language (English). It is ideal for those who wish to access the work in its authentic version. The book is available in paperback format, with quality binding that facilitates handling and study. Penguin Psychology is renowned for its careful editions of key works in psychology.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWho this book is for\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecommended for students of psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, and social sciences, as well as anyone interested in the nature of identity and mental health. The text is accessible yet demanding: it requires a willingness to engage with phenomenological concepts and to question established assumptions about madness and sanity. It is a work that invites reflection and debate, and that remains as provocative today as it was at the time of its publication.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book is an academic work and does not substitute for professional medical advice.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Psychology","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48755265798298,"sku":null,"price":31.15,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0761\/4831\/0170\/files\/91gBsVxSLCL._SL1500_fe29cc0d-be4a-439c-b0e8-99a009b1fac0.jpg?v=1784253353","url":"https:\/\/vitaminaspain.es\/es\/products\/the-divided-self-laing-0140135375","provider":"vitaminaspain","version":"1.0","type":"link"}