[A Sip of a Book] Psychiatric Analysis of Italy

This is a follow-up series to 'The Personality of European Civilization.' While the previous volume analyzed the general and common personalities and characters of Europe, this series compares and analyzes the personalities of different European countries based on a common personality structure. The first installment of the series studies Italy. Drawing on experience as a psychiatrist who believes that recovery requires a personal encounter, it closely examines Italy's history, life, and the psychology of Italians.

The highest domain is religion. Rome was fundamentally polytheistic and had temples, but in practice, since the emperor was deified, other religions held little significance. Religion in Rome was a low-level means to maintain the Roman system rather than a pursuit of higher spirituality. However, as the deified emperor and empire crumbled and the world became overly secularized and difficult to live in, the religious instincts within people began to awaken. A desire to rely on a higher religion beyond what is visible emerged.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy never governed the Italian Peninsula under its own sovereignty. It was fortunate if external monarchs allowed some degree of autonomy. Still, around the Renaissance, although not a unified nation, northern Italy lived proudly as regional duchies exercising sovereignty. However, from the early 15th century, near the end of the Renaissance, internal wars broke out among republics, which triggered wars in Italy involving external powers such as France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire. With the end of the Renaissance, Italy entered a dark age during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The family is Italy's strength and reason for existence, so it must not be underestimated. Only pathological aspects need to be corrected. The family is the foundation of human existence and relationships. It is the most precious value. If the family disintegrates, humanity is lost and society becomes deeply ill. Therefore, familism must be preserved. However, if everything is resolved within the small framework of the family, self-preservation prevents development into a larger system. It is no longer possible to form one large country as in the past. People inevitably live confined to family and region.

The Motherly Country Italy | Written by Lee Seonghun | Sungindeok | 316 pages | 22,000 KRW