 |
This paper aims to show that psychiatric disorders cannot be defined within an essentialist perspective – i.e. by means of necessary and sufficient properties. We introduce the Homeostatic Property Cluster model (HPC) which proves useful for addressing the question as to whether psychiatric disorders are continuous or discrete entities. From this discussion, we find that psychiatric kinds are discrete. We then analyze the disease model – recognized in the medical field as an essentialist model – bringing attention to its limitations and raising objections to its applicability. Finally, we argue that the HPC model offers a good starting point for identifying and classifying psychiatric kinds and show how it can provide a bridge between the rigidly discrete and rigidly continuous perspective on kinds, bringing together aspects of both.
