Published: October 2024

Keywords:
Pietro Barbetta, Teaching, Learning, Processes, Bildung, Bildungsroman, Collaborative Learning, Dialogue, Experience, Genealogy, Foucault, Diagnosis, Societal Attitudes, Mental Health, Urgenza Pychologica, Social Therapy, Community Commitment, Community Action, Social Responsibility, Therapy

Pietro Barbetta

Past director of the Milan Center of Family Therapy, current director of the International School of Systemic Therapy in Transcultural Contexts (ISST).

He has published, among others, Locura y Creacion (2016, Gedisa) with U. Telfener, Complessità e psicoterapia (2019, Raffaello Cortina), and with M. E. Cavagnis, I. B. Krause and U. Telfener, Ethical and Aesthetic Exploration of Systemic Practices (2022 Routledge),

pietro.barbetta@unibg.it

Abstract

This internet discussion between Pietro Barbetta and Metalogos (Fany Triantafillou and Olga Alexiadou) took place in April 2024, and it is presented in this Metalogos's issue in two videos (I & II).

Once again, Pietro Barbetta does us the honour and offers us stimuli and good food for thought. Once again, he "educates" us and opens paths to philosophy, literature, therapy, and society.

Every word of his is a citation. The additions of information by the Metalogos's Editorial Team are yet another invitation for you to search further and expand.

If we were to highlight the basic points, we would note that:

• Teaching and learning are reciprocal processes, mutually reinforcing.
• The German concept of "Bildung" emphasises personal development through education/training.
• The historical roots of psychiatric terminology reveal more profound meanings.
• Social therapy promotes community and shared experiences in mental health.
• Philosophical struggles today focus on collective experiences rather than individual truths.

Video I begins with philosophy and the German concept of Bildung, which translates as education or formation. This term is essential as it relates to personal growth and the journey of becoming human through learning. Barbetta focuses on the Bildungsroman genre of literature, which describes the development of characters through their experiences. This idea of ​​Bildung is not only about acquiring knowledge but the transformative process of learning and teaching, where both teacher and student grow together. Trainers can only impart knowledge by also gaining knowledge from their trainees. Teaching is intrinsically linked to learning.

This mutual relationship promotes a collaborative learning environment where both parties contribute to each other's development, emphasising the importance of dialogue and shared experiences in the educational process.

Barbetta is interested in the genealogy of terms/words that psychiatrists and psychologists use to make their diagnoses. He observes that almost all these words have their roots in Greek and Latin. Most recently, he has been writing a book that explores the lexicon of diagnosis, aiming to uncover these terms' historical and philosophical origins. Using a genealogical method similar to that of Foucault, Barbetta seeks to reveal the underlying meanings and implications of psychiatric language, which often reflects societal attitudes towards mental health.

Barbetta talks to us about the very interesting "Urgenza Psychologica" group in Milan, which he is an active member of. The "social therapy" developing within that context consists mainly of discussing and exchanging experiences between citizens related to health and mental health issues. The aim is to strengthen the community and encourage citizens to take active action in critical social matters. “Therapists” and “patients” openly discuss their experiences and jointly decide on community action. A prevailing belief is that healing should be a matter of individual, family, community commitment, and social responsibility.

The video concludes with philosophical reflections. Barbetta believes that modern philosophy must come to grips with the concept of the collective subject, moving away from the idea of the individual as the primary focus. This turn emphasises the interconnectedness of human experiences and the importance of understanding truth as a dynamic and collective process rather than a fixed entity.

Professor Barbetta invites us to rethink our views of identity, community, society and the role of therapy in them.