Making the case

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One hundred years before Freud’s influential psychoanalytic case-histories, the narrative psychological case-history emerged in late eighteenth-century Germany as an epistemic genre that spanned medicine, philosophy, law, psychology, anthropology, and literature. Unlike earlier classifications in theology and medicine, this genre sought to articulate individuality, constructing a ‘self’ in its unique singularity. The book presents and analyzes significant psychological case-histories, exploring their theories, practices, and the controversies regarding their utility and validity for an envisioned ‘science of the soul.’ Through close and distant readings of key figures such as Christian Wolff, J. C. Krüger, and Immanuel Kant, the work situates this genre within a historical-scientific context. It argues that the psychological case-history evolved as a pastoral apparatus aimed at guiding the ‘unique’ individual, linking personal experiences, memories, and traumas to illness and deviance. This meta-genre transcended traditional boundaries, illustrating the connection between suffering and symptoms of illness, a notion echoed in Freud’s work. Its impact extended beyond psychology, influencing German and European literature and shaping modern clinical sciences and popular culture. The book appeals to scholars across various fields, including German studies, cultural history, and the history of ideas.