‘Highly original.’ – Judges’ report, Dutch Philosophy Award 2015

‘It has scarcely a counterpart in world literature.’ – De Morgen ****

‘Powerful, intelligent and challenging.’ – de Volkskrant *****

A book filled with fundamental and transgressive insights into madness.

This work is an ambitious elaboration and in-depth exploration of themes reminiscent of Charles Taylor’s Sources of the Self. It is an emancipatory and erudite book about the most diverse experiences of madness: from Nietzsche’s ‘madman’ and the crazed dancer Nijinsky, to the local lunatic.

Wouter Kusters has experienced a psychotic episode on two occasions himself and knows what he is writing about: philosophy can pass imperceptibly into madness. And conversely, moments of madness can produce the most brilliant philosophy.