Self-Illness Ambiguity and Identity: The Role of Hermeneutical Resources
Wed
3
Dec
Wednesday 3 December, 2025at 13:15 - 15:00
HUM.H.119
The Research Seminar Series in Philosophy invites you to a seminar with Laura Delgado Verges, Granada, "Self-Illness Ambiguity and Identity: The Role of Hermeneutical Resources".
Abstract
In this paper I argue that effectively coping with self-illness ambiguity and making sense of one’s identity in relation to a psychiatric condition requires access to adequate hermeneutical resources that provide diverse interpretive alternatives. The lack of adequate hermeneutical resources significantly restricts the possibilities for individuals with different conditions to explore which alternatives work best for them. This may lead to a psychiatric condition being considered inherently negative and in need of a cure, when it could instead be understood as a form of neurodivergence or as a condition with positive aspects that one might choose to identify with. The failure to apply available hermeneutical tools can also occur, leading to a different scenario in which attempts to highlight the positive aspects of certain conditions may overshadow the suffering they sometimes entail. The lack or misuse of hermeneutical resources limits the options in dealing with self-illness ambiguity, leading to harmful or incomplete understandings and preventing people from constructing their identity in relation to their diagnosis in the most beneficial way.
