The psychosomatics of virtue in the age of sensibility

Nakon kratkog osvrta na razdoblje druge polovine 18. stoljeća i elemente prema kojima se kaonjegova ključna karakteristika izdvajaju ekstenzivne analize fenomena senzibiliteta, rad skiciradva prevalentna pravca istraživanja: prvi, situiran unutar medicinskog diskursa 18. stoljeća kojisenzibilitet imenuje uzročnikom "živčanih bolesti" te drugi, onaj filozofijski, koji senzibilitet vidikao instrument za postizanje vrline. Stapanje medicinsko-filozofijskih dijagnoza oprimjeruje seosvrtom na Rousseauovu naslovnu junakinju iz Julije ili Nove Heloize. Time se zaključno stvarajupretpostavke za tematiziranje oboljeloga tijela, koje upravo vizualno neugodnim znakovimasvoje bolesti svjedoči o moralno ugodnim, dapače i visoko poželjnim, karakteristikama osobe.After a brief overview of the second half of the 18th century and those elements that define theextensive analysis of the phenomenon of sensibility as its key characteristic, this paper focuseson two paths of research: the first lies within medical research, which labeled sensibility as thecause of "nervous diseases”, while the second lies within the field of philosophy, which labeledsensibility as an instrument for attaining virtue. The melding of the medical and philosophicaldiagnoses is illustrated by a review of Rousseau’s female protagonist from Julie, or the newHeloise. This conclusively creates the necessary conditions for the theme of the sick body, thevisually unpleasant signs of which in fact bear witness to the morally upright and highly desirablecharacteristics of the individual.