Step into the enigmatic world of madness with philosopher and author Wouter Kusters, where the boundaries between light and shadow, reason and unreason, blur and dissolve. This course invites participants to explore madness—not as mere pathology but as a profound human experience that is often dangerous and disabling, but may also challenge and enrich our understanding of existence.

Beginning with personal stories, we encounter transformative psychotic experiences, alongside Kusters’ own journeys through madness. These accounts provide a first window into the lived reality of psychosis, offering perspectives often silenced or misunderstood. These stories unfold within a broader historical and philosophical framework, guided by the insights of philosophers like Michel Foucault, Edmund Husserl, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jean Paul Sartre.

From this foundation, participants will explore the intricate inner workings of madness—how reality twists, perceptions fracture, and delusions take shape. Drawing from Kusters’ acclaimed work A Philosophy of Madness, we’ll confront the paradoxes of mad logic, the spiritual and religious dimensions of madness, and the boundless creativity it inspires. Blending philosophy, spirituality, history, and art, this course challenges conventional narratives. Madness is not only a disorder to be feared, but also a mirror reflecting deeper truths about humanity. Through this journey, you’ll discover the transformative potential of madness—its power to inspire, to question, and to reveal, but also to disrupt and to disable.

In this course, Wouter Kusters will guide you through his book A Philosophy of Madness. Each session starts with a lecture by Kusters, followed by discussion in small groups (in the zoom breakout rooms). In the second hour of the class we will discuss a particular part of Kusters’ book with help of some guiding questions that participants prepare beforehand.

Session 1: Introduction. On Recovery and the Value of Crisis. Discussion of the Preface, Introduction and the Ouverture
Session 2: Madness and mysticism. Discussion of 11.3.4 on Mormones and the case of Unger
Session 3: Madness and art. Discussion of 15.3 on madness and cinema
Session 4: Madness and reason. Discussion of 16.3 on messianism.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the course, participants will be able:

1. To gain more insight into the lived experience of psychosis
2. To learn how to better engage with persons with psychosis
3. To learn how to provide better care during and after psychosis

Christian Wouter Kusters, PhD

Christian Wouter Kusters, PhD, is a Dutch philosopher and linguist, known for his award-winning books, including A Philosophy of Madness. He explores madness as a profound existential experience. Combining scholarly rigor with personal insight, Kusters’ work bridges philosophy, psychiatry, and creative writing, offering groundbreaking perspectives on human nature.

Alireza Taheri, PhD, RP

Alireza Taheri, PhD, RP, holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is a psychoanalyst and clinical supervisor in Toronto. He teaches at the psychoanalytic theory and practice at the Toronto Psychoanalytic Institute and Society as well as Persepolis Psychoanalytic (Iran) and the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis where is a faculty member. He writes on philosophy, psychoanalysis, film and literature. Alireza has published a monograph entitled Hegelian-Lacanian Variations on Late Modernity: Spectre of Madness where he develops a novel dialectical theory based on Hegel, Lacan and Žižek. His current research focuses on Lacanian theories of psychosis and autism about which he is preparing a monograph. Member TPS&I.