Maine de Biran teorIco delle passIoni tra "Physique" e "Moral": affezIonI, sentImentI e rIfrazIone organIca

Mostly known for his theory of effort and as the founder of the literary genre of the philosophical journal, Maine de Biran investigated a wide range of philosophical questions, from a perspective that brings together philosophy, psychology, and neurophysiology. The aspects of his philosophy that have received particular attention include the origin and nature of language, the problem of brain localization, and the study of alienation and madness. On the contrary, Biran’s original theory of passions has mostly been neglected; likewise, his conception of the unconscious has received only limited attention. This article intends to explore, in their essential aspects, Biran’s reflections on passions and on the phenomenon of “organic refraction”, two themes which are closely interconnected in his philosophy, with special reference to a possible theorization of the unconscious. The aim of this article is to show the relevance of Biran’s reflections for contemporary debates on the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of psychoanalysis, and more generally on the relationship between affections, consciousness, and the unconscious, also in dialogue with neuroscience.