Resumos
Despite having “mental” in its name, as far as professionals engaged in daily services for persons with mental disorders are concerned, there is not much scrutiny about the theoretical assumptions involved in characterizing and delimiting the field of mental health. What is “mental” in mental health? In order to strengthen the interdisciplinary aspects of this field, we will carry out an analysis of the theory by Terrence Deacon, a contemporary evolutionary biologist who studies the emergence of life and mind, and will offer this discussion as an essential formative aspect as yet neglected in mental health practice. In conclusion, we will consider how Deacon’s view entails an approach to mental health in which cannot be conceived devoid of normative, subjective and environmental aspects..
Key words:
Collective health; emergence of the mind; subjectivity; Deacon; normativity