Melancholy in Times of Turmoil
Philosopher J.J. Hermsen traces how we have dealt with melancholy down the ages, referring to philosophy, literature and art. Her lively, erudite cultural and historical essay takes us from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, through its reassessments in art and thinking, to the present day.
Hermsen puts the case for melancholy as a source of solidarity, since it can connect people across the boundaries of time, culture, faith and ethnicity. But her incisive analysis of the zeitgeist shows that this connection is presently compromised by our pursuit of prosperity and instant happiness which leaves little room for any meaningful way of dealing with loss and mortality. During the course of the twentieth century, the idea of melancholy was supplanted by the ambiguous term ‘depression’ which found its way into medical textbooks and became perceived as a medical condition that could supposedly be treated and cured.
Hermsen appeals passionately for melancholy to be reassessed, for it to be reclaimed, linked with hope and given time and awareness for us to better cope with setback and loss. She also clearly points out, in referring to writings by Hannah Arendt and Ernst Bloch, that fresh political horizons would be needed, too.
In this, Hermsen places herself in the company of such innovative thinkers as Darian Leader and Emily Esfahani Smith who also oppose an over-mechanistic and medicalized definition of happiness and sorrow. With her impassioned plea for us to take melancholy seriously once more and to embrace it, Hermsen believes that far more room for creativity and empathy would be released, both of which are necessary to keep ourselves, our politics and our culture healthy.
“J.J. Hermsen has written a captivating book about melancholy. She is closing in on the spirit of our times. Diagnosis: collective depression.”
“In her essay, Hermsen appeals for the rehabilitation of Homo melancholicus – because repressed sadness grows rank and eventually manifests itself in anxiety, depression, restlessness and xenophobia.”
More Non-Fiction
Under a Different Sky
From a young age, philosopher and writer Joke H. Hermsen has wrestled with the longing to be elsewhere – a kind of ‘farsickness’, from the German 'fernweh', which has gone paired with never quite feeling at home. When, during the pandemic, the feeling rises to a crescendo in her own house, she packs her bags. But everywhere she goes – from France to the Netherlands to Germany – memories wash over her.
The Healthcare Gap
Medicine has traditionally been based on the male body, with women as bycatch, but women are not just smaller men. In scientific research, female patients remain alarmingly underrepresented, and today there is still no equality between men and women as patients, despite growing proof of the differences. And female medical professionals themselves still need further emancipation in their roles.
On Another Planet They Can Save Me
In 2017, poet and novelist Lieke Marsman was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer. After enduring various rounds of chemo, she was told her illness was terminal. Still, she is continuing with treatment – radiotherapy, immunotherapy, operations. Living for years with death has changed Lieke’s worldview, and On Another Planet They Can Save Me is a poetic and philosophical exploration of the need to embrace the unknown.
Another Russia
Is Russia so unique that we can’t understand its people? Putin would like us to think so, and it’s why he has to defend against the ‘decadent West’. Meanwhile, our own stubborn myths about the enigmatic ‘Russian Soul’ only confirm his narrative. If we ever hope to see peace in Europe, renowned Russia-expert Sjeng Scheijen argues, we had better look at what we share. After all, one can’t win a war of ideas with bombs alone.
