La question de la santé mentale à partir de l’homme neuronal (1983) de Jean Pierre Changeux

Abstract

The epigenetic is the set of environmental phenomena that influence the brain development. It has a great impact on the development and the preservation of mental health. The latter was at the origin of the development of the questioning on the mental health of the neuronal man. This question shows forth the problem of the nature of mental health. How does the epigenesis determine the cerebral development? In which manner can the social milieu engender neurological and mental health troubles? Does mental health resume itself solely on the biological and mechanistic dimension of man? This problematic lead to hypotheses whereby: neurological troubles can engender mental health problems; the interaction between the brain and the world generates psychic and physical sufferings; the mental health does not resume itself to the sole biological and mechanistic constituent of the brain; the role of philosophy in the understanding of mental health. The resolution of these hypotheses imposes an analytical, a comprehensive and a critical demarche. It is as such that was adopted a tripartite plan in which the elaboration of the first part permitted the analysis of Changeux’s thoughts in the neural man2. It stems out from this exam that the epigenesis by selective stabilisation of synapses or the neural Darwinism is the phenomenon that determines the specificity and the complexity of connections. The actions of man in the milieu is the resultant of a physico-chemical and mechanistic reaction between the neuron and the muscles. In the second part, the comprehension of mental health permits to exceed the neurobiological and mechanistic conception of man. The sociologists and psychologists: Allport, Piaget, Freud, Westman, demonstrated that behaviour is intentional. It possesses a psychic dimension since there exist a relation between behaviour, cognition and conscience. In effect, behavior is a psycho-physical phenomenon. The third part presents the role of philosophy in the mastering of mental health problems. Indeed, the association of many human, social, paramedical and medical disciplines, each based on a peculiar rationality, is necessary to diagnose, treat, rehabilitate behaviour disturbances and restore the mental health of man. This multidisciplinary allows the insight of the holistic man favours the sain interactions between the man and the world and contributes to the good functioning of the brain.