Deconstructing the Psychopath: A Critical Discursive Analysis

• Published in: Cultural critique 2009, Vol.72 (72), p.36-65
• Main Authors: Federman, Cary, Holmes, Dave, Jacob, Jean Daniel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Antisocial behavior; Antisocial personality disorder; Criminal motive; Criminal psychology; Criminals; Deconstruction; Guilt; Mental illness; Methods; Morality; Psychology; Serial killers; Sociopathic personality; Violence; Violent crimes
• ISSN: 0882-4371; 1534-5203; 1460-2458
• DOI: 10.1353/cul.0.0037

The figure of the psychopath stands behind the unexplained violence and serial killings in what has become the most popular film genre - horror movies - yet, although scientific research has been carried out on dangerous individuals in captivity, thus linking psychopathy with biological dangerousness, there has been little discursive or critical discussion of the condition. Studies have avoided placing it as part of a culture matrix which relates to fear of the unknown, and they instead rely on two views which reject cultural, historical, philosophical or linguistic analyses: these are the belief that criminals choose to commit crimes irrespective of any of the various factors which may influence them, and the continuing belief that scientific research will eventually reveal such personality or behavioural disorders, so that the psychopath can be labelled as mentally ill from an assumption of organic infirmities yet to be located. Describes historical accounts of psychopathy, and conducts a critical, Foucauldian analysis of the psychopath, based on psychiatric descriptions of the condition; this deconstructs the mythic figure of the psychopath, thus illuminating the relationship between psychiatric power and the construction of so-called monsters and psychopaths.