the two Janusian figures of a
psychophysiological homeostasis
Gabriel Gandolfo
Neurosciences, Nice

Published in JIMIS, Creative Commons  and archives HAL

Abstract:
Well-being is first of all an absence. An absence of certain psycho-physiological symptoms which are, in turn, the expression of an imbalance in our homeostasis, and, as a result, organic. Well-being is like happiness or good health, its concomitants: we only realize that we had them when we don't have them anymore, say the paralegals. Well-being is not a sensation, nor even a feeling, it is a disposition of mind, it is the ataraxia of the Ancients. But then, how can we measure an absence, something of the spiritual order that escapes, by essence, any normative or quantitative investigation?
How to obviate what appears to be an aporia? This is however what this special issue of the magazine JIMIS is all about: is there a relevant methodology to evaluate the psycho-physiological parameters that make us "feel good": these are in fact the same parameters that, a contrario, are disturbed in case of ill-being. Because the paradox is there: well-being can only be defined by an antinomic approach. I therefore propose, as an editorial prolegomena, a short historical epitome focusing on ill-being!

> complete article in French : here