The Difference Between Melancholy and Depression, Philobiblon, 25 (2), pp. 421-9 (2020) (original) (raw)

Although from a medical point of view, melancholy and depression are indistinguishable, I will try to argue that, from a philosophical perspective, there is an important distinction between the two related affective states. Analyzing various philosophical, literary, poetical, psychiatric and musical works􏰂 such as Burton􏰃s Anatomy of Melancholy (1621􏰄􏰂 Butler􏰃s Characters 􏰅􏰆􏰇􏰈􏰉􏰄􏰂 Goethe􏰃s Werther (1774)􏰂 Novalis􏰃s Hymns to the Night 􏰅􏰆􏰊􏰋􏰋􏰄􏰂 Beethoven􏰃s 􏰌Moonlight􏰍 Sonata (1801), Baudelaire􏰃s Flowers of Evil (1857), Cotard􏰃s report on the Hypochondriac Delirium 􏰅􏰆􏰊􏰊􏰋􏰄􏰂 Kraepelin􏰃s Textbook of Psychiatry (1883), I will try to clarify the psychological ambiguity between melancholy and depression.