Witness to History: Introduction to Symposium on Transhistorical Catastrophe

Abstract

This paper introduces the symposium on transhistorical catastrophe by illustrating some differences between American relational and French analytic approaches to the study and treatment of trauma. The work of Davoine and Gaudillière is presented to familiarize the reader with their unique and eclectic approach to researching “madness.” Preparing for the dialogue that follows, I briefly present the discussants, who collectively take the discussion of transhistorical catastrophe from psychoanalysis through history, literature, quantum science, and linguistics.