A Dark Science

Translated here for the first time is a series of shocking and profoundly influential texts from 19th-century German psychiatric literature. Though almost completely unknown to modern readers, these writings have cast a long, devastating shadow over 20th-century attitudes toward women and children. Seminal and often brutal, these articles delve into perceived sexual "lies" and "fantasies" of children, documenting cruel treatments for masturbation, hysteria, and vaginismus. They also explore disturbing incidents involving allegations of fabricated sexual abuse attributed to "prematurely perverted" children. The ideas presented here still resonate, having taken a terrible toll on the intellectual foundations of modern psychiatry. Collected and translated by Jeffrey Masson, these nine articles expose a critical, dark point in the history of psychology. They reveal how ignorance and deeply ingrained negative attitudes towards women and child sexuality created a flawed science whose legacy modern psychiatrists still grapple with. While by no means an "easy read," this collection is essential for understanding the historical roots of certain psychiatric beliefs and the ongoing struggle to overcome damaging perspectives.