Epilogue

Abstract

Undoubtedly our conception of the normal is very archaic, while it is — undoubtedly because it is — as was pointed out to us in 1943, a conception of life such as can be formed when one is young. A judgment which we did not intend has delighted us and we ask to be allowed to apply it to ourself: “The notion of this ideal which is the normal is identified with the previous euphoric state of the subject who has just fallen sick…. The only pathology ascertained at the time was a pathology of young subjects”.⁷² And undoubtedly it took the termerity of youth to believe oneself equal to the task of a study of medical philosophy on norms and the normal. The difficulty of such an undertaking makes one tremble. We are aware of this today as we complete these pages of resumption. With this confession, the reader will measure how much we, in conformity with our discussion on norms, have reduced our own with time.