Schizophrenia: The Sacred Symbol of Psychiatry

by Thomas Szasz

Book Overview

First published in 1976, Schizophrenia: The Sacred Symbol of Psychiatry examines the concept of schizophrenia and the origins of its classification as a disease. Szasz convincing argues that rather than a medical diagnosis, the word schizophrenia is a symbol employed by psychiatrists as a means of control.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0815602243
• ISBN13: 9780815602248
• Release Date: April 1988
• Publisher: Syracuse University Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Straight Thought on a Serpentine Subject

Prof. Thomas Szasz recognizes that so-called mental illness which are not based in actualMEDICAL pathology are "diseases" only by the analogic and metaphorical qualities of language. Prof. Sasz maintains that the mind is not the brain, the mental functions are not reducible to brain functions, and that so-called "mental diseases" are not disases but are refelctions and manifestations of the way persons deal with problems-in-living. Because of his respect for human dignity and human freedom, Szasz is a classical liberal whose writings are compatible with the freedom and liberty issues characteristic of the so-called "right wing" section of the political and spectrum. Szasz is incisive, pungent, brilliant, insightful on the role of the threaputic industry within the totalitarian state and the uses of psychiatric voodoo for control of persons and thought. Accordingly, he comes across as a spokesperson of the liberty-freedom perspective -- what Alice in Wonderland said is the same thing as love, namely, minding one's own business. AS Szasz, points out, the psychiatric concept of "disease" attempts to make the mind, will and emotions a material object which supposedly can be "treated". His view of human freedom shapes his view of politics. The "mental" illness are social constructions in the form of political arrangments for exerting power over other beings -- exactly what the Totalitarlian Left sets itself to accomplish with self-rightous vigor. The various functional mental illness are real behaviors, but they are that, behaviors, not diseases or "symptoms" of "disease". Statists, who begin with an ethic of control, tend to oppose Szazian thought. Szasz, who does not begin with a political platform, does article values of freedom and recognition of the religious and ideological nature of psychiatric voodoo, does make conclusions which are favorable to human freedom rather than to a global psychiatric ward. Prof. Szasz presents is one of the foremost, perhaps the foremost challenge to the theology of psychiatry and the efforts of that psychiatry to subject mankind to its impirmatur.

Neither cruel nor offensive: compassionate and rational

T.S. Szasz reminds us that schizophrenia never existed in any medical records before the 20th century. It is an invention, or merely a new label for a kind of behaviour that previously belonged to other medical or social classifications. As most of his readers already know, Szasz rightly believes that there ain't no such thing as a mental illness. Not as long as we mean "illness" like we mean it when we speak of any "illnesses" except the so-called "mental" ones. What we call mental illness is actually merely a certain kind of (litteraly) /abnormal/ (out of the norm) behaviour. Schizophrenia is a myth. A must read for open-minded people not too obsessed with that "libertarian-conservative" sticker...

Courageous and brilliant. An exercise in critical thinking.

Szasz once again lampoons his fellow psychiatrists in Schizophrenia: The Sacred Symbol of Psychiatry. He first details psychiatric history at the turn of the century and howthe discovery of paresis as a true disease lead them to use it as the paradigmfor all "mental illess." He then challenges the hypocritical views of "anti-psychiatrists" Laing and Cooper, showing how their values represent collectivism and communism rather than individualism and liberty. In the chapter entitled Schizophrenia: Psychiatric Syndrome or Scientific Scandle, He sarcastically demonstrates the conflicting hypothesis, treatments, statistics, and research that are normally used to prove the seriousness of Schizophrenia. He concludes powerfully by comparing psychiatry and other social sciences to religion and theology, both whose purpose is to control the mind and heart of man. The book will certainly make those who have a stake in the medical model of schizophrenia cringe when the truth about their pseudoscientific enterprise wins out.