Hysteria Beyond Freud is a widely respected scholarly volume published in 1993 by the University of California Press . The book provides a historical and thematic reevaluation of the medical concept of hysteria, moving away from traditional psychoanalytic perspectives to explore its social and cultural evolution from antiquity to the early 20th century. Core Contributors and Chapters
: Explores the origins of hysteria in antiquity, specifically examining the Hippocratic tradition and the myth of the "wandering womb".
: The text demonstrates that hysteria was frequently defined not just by biological symptoms, but by prevailing social norms regarding gender, behavior, and "proper" womanhood. Hysteria Beyond Freud
: Some contributors, like Helen King, argue that "Classical hysteria" was a retrospective invention by later physicians to legitimize their own medical theories. Hysteria Beyond Freud - UC Press E-Books Collection
: The authors argue that while Freud is often credited with "discovering" the psychological roots of hysteria, he actually inherited a 3,000-year-old lineage of medical and cultural thought. Hysteria Beyond Freud is a widely respected scholarly
: Analyzes the negotiation of hysteria between doctors and patients, focusing on the relationship between medical materialism and the body.
The work is a collaboration between five prominent historians and cultural critics: : The text demonstrates that hysteria was frequently
: Investigates the development of hysteria as a "strange pathology" in the early modern world (1500–1800).