Kraepelin, Emil (1856–1926)

Abstract

This article – after giving an overview on Emil Kraepelin's life – discusses Kraepelin's concept of mental illness in general and psychiatric research in particular. Although he was hardly interested in philosophical presuppositions of psychiatric work, his publications prove the influence of major theoretical concepts like realism, naturalism and parallelism. The basic idea of ‘natural disease entities’ in psychiatry and the development of Kraepelin's clinical nosology over a period of nearly 50 years is then described before focusing on the significant influence Kraepelin still has on present-day psychiatry, especially with regard to psychiatric diagnoses and research. However, in recent years the ‘neo-Kraepelinian’ perspective has also been criticized substantially especially with regard to the nosological dichotomy of schizophrenic and affective psychoses. A thorough knowledge and balanced interpretation of Kraepelin's work is indispensable for a clear understanding of this debate and for its further development.