The social understanding of Eugen Bleuler - his viewpoint outside of the psychiatric clinic

Abstract

Based on writings from different periods in the life of Eugen Bleuler, the present work represents a consistent recognizable concept of ethics, social order and race hygiene in his scientific work. These subjects are set by Bleuler in a more general connection of nature and culture; it can be shown that the scientific understanding of social and cultural phenomena is founded on principles which can be easily identified by looking at nature. Bleuler's position is a clear-cut deterministic and materialistic one; the crisis of the post-world-war era can be solved only by rational reasonable ethics rules of a science applied on social questions. Bleuler outlines the general importance of race hygiene; practical consequences of this position remain unaffected. Euthanasia is to be planed in certain cases of difficult and incurable disease - including also mental illness; mental deficiency as such does not legitimize a such step yet.