I read Thomas Szasz’s critique of psychiarty when I was in my 20s and I still find it meaningful. I think his most important point is to note that vague terms such as mental health and normality have been abused by the powers in society to control those who disagree with him. Consider his study of witchcraft, and how homosexuality has been vilified and criminalized. What to you think about his view that there is not such thing as “mental illness?” First, be sure you know what he means by the terms “mental,” and “illness.”
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Get Help Now!Thomas Szasz He is a psychiatrist and philosopher. Thomas Szasz is one of the most radical thinkers in America and his insights into sickness, deviance and the use of power, religious, medical or political, are crucial to a real understanding of modern society and especially deviance. Thomas Szasz holds a rigid ideological stance that is based on complete freedom of behavior for all humans and no government regulation of personal conduce that does not harm others. He emphasizes responsibility in personal conduct and thinks all deviants must be punished if they break the law, including use of the death penalty. He rejects any attempt by bureaucratic institutions, such as government, professional psychiatry, the church, to repress human lawful and personal human freedom. His career as a writer has been to illustrate how powerful institutions in society, beginning with the church, have consistently repressed human freedom. This repression is designed to preserve the status of the elite, and to validate the rules of conduct and social organization that form the collective conscience and are the foundation to their power. Here is a link to his work and one to an interview with him. HYPERLINK “http://www.szasz.com/” http://www.szasz.com/ HYPERLINK “http://www.reason.com/news/show/27767.html” http://www.reason.com/news/show/27767.html Here is a link to an article that is critical of Szasz, just to be fair. This critical article is very good at summarizing his philosophy, however. HYPERLINK “http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/13/oliver.htm” http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/13/oliver.htm Here is what he says, in very brief detail. Medicine has replaced religion as a coercive force in society. Illness is the modern version of sin, and like sin is to be removed from society by people with special knowledge as to how to determine illness and what to do about it. His particular problem is with what is called “institutional…
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