Where Thought Hesitates: Gregory Bateson and the Double Bind

The double bind theory, developed by anthropologist Gregory Bateson in 1956, revolutionized the understanding of mental illness and has proven effective in various fields. The book explores Bateson's research, including his early ethnographic surveys, ecological ideas, and work in psychiatry, and provides a guide to his work and essential theoretical tools for addressing contemporary problems.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 162 pages
Publication date: 05 September 2022
Publisher: Mimesis International

In 1956, anthropologist Gregory Bateson, alongside his esteemed research group, unveiled a groundbreaking theory that would profoundly transform our understanding of mental illness. This theory, known as the double bind, has since proven its efficacy across an expanding array of disciplines, spanning from communication theory to epistemology, sociology to pedagogy, literature to philosophy. Through a meticulous exploration of the theory's genesis and evolution, the book delves into the central themes, interconnectedness, and critical junctures that define the entirety of Bateson's multifaceted research. From his early ethnographic surveys in New Guinea to the ecological insights of his later years, including his cybernetic reflections and studies of human and animal communication, his work in the psychiatric field, this analysis of the double bind theory, initially conceived as a hypothesis to explain schizophrenia, serves as a comprehensive guide to the work of one of the most enigmatic and innovative thinkers of the 20th century. Moreover, it provides invaluable theoretical tools for shedding light on a multitude of contemporary issues that continue to persist.

Dimension: 210 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9788869773884