[Applying the art of medicine in the study of attitudes]

In 1758, the physician-philosopher Johann-Georg Zimmermann (1728-95) published Vom Nationalstolze. In this treatise, Zimmermann transformed the particulars of medical analysis conceived to examine pathological individuals into an instrument for observing societal mentalities. This article deals with Zimmermann's motivations for writing on national pride and with his observations and reflections on different kinds of national tempers. Zimmermann's descriptions of healthy and unhealthy manifestations of national pride and his prescriptions for preventing its worst effects are expounded through many direct quotes.