Srinagar, Aug. 3 -- What is madness? An accurate answer is, we don't know. A somewhat accurate one is that madness is subjective.

But the great philosopher of philosophers, Michael Foucault, as relevant and sharp as ever, delineated the genesis, etymology, and typology of madness that goes to the heart of the matter.

In his magnum opus, Madness and Civilization, the French thinker postulated that madness was not an objective medical truth, but rather a social and cultural construct shaped by changing power structures, morality, and the demands of rational society.

Developing and elaborating on the evolution and typology of madness, Foucault periodized the nature and form of madness.

Of great interest to me personally, Foucault held ma...