Book Description

This book presents an innovative perspective on the melancholic character of English divine, writer and academic Robert Burton (1577–1640) and how it shaped his confrontations with political and academic powers. Delving on his historical context, personal struggles and earlier literary pieces, this enquiry provides a new reading of The Anatomy of Melancholy, revealing its deeper purposes and how these prefigure the tensions at the heart of modern discourses—therapeutic, political, and economic. Along with Burton’s observations on melancholy, the book highlights the emergence of "melancholic observation", a new kind of reflexive and critical stance on the pressing issues of his time This is well expressed in Burton's presentation of 'melancholizing' as a creative activity, which uses the existential stance as the grounding for utopian imagination and projects performative ways to expose the limitations of political and academic powers. Beyond its analysis of Burton's melancholic character, the book provides a wealth of knowledge that enhances the study and teaching of various subjects. It illuminates the transformation of Renaissance medicine and its embeddedness within religious, academic, and literary discourses and practices, offers insights into historical figures associated with the concept of melancholy, explores shifts in philosophical readership during the era, and uncovers the precursors of psychotherapy. By connecting these diverse subjects, it provides an interdisciplinary approach that enriches our understanding of the cultural and intellectual landscape of the time. Robert Burton on the Melancholic Plague invites readers on an intellectual journey through the profound complexities of Robert Burton's masterpiece, The Anatomy of Melancholy. By intertwining existential, socio-political, geographic, economic, and artistic dimensions of Burton’s work, it opens new avenues of exploration, gaining valuable insights into the motivation and depth of his work.