Insanity

The Idea and its Consequences

Bibliographic Data

ID11089392
AuthorsCarol A B Warren (corresponding author), Thomas Szasz
Year1988
Volume17
Issue2
Pages235
Publication date1988-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueContemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0094-3061 • E-ISSN: 1939-8638
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2307/2070617
OpenAlexW2092736351
LanguageEN
Citations received41

The idea of insanity pervades every aspect of our daily lives. Thomas Szasz contends that the term actually functions as a euphemism for problems in living, as an excuse for crime and misbehaviour, as a stigma for invalidating adversaries - and, generally, as a metaphor and legal fiction. In Insanity, Dr. Szasz presents a systematic articulation of the precise character and practical consequences of the idea of mental illness. He shows the way to a better understanding of this almost universally misunderstood condition by first establishing the scientific criteria and linguistic conventions we use for deciding what constitutes bodily disease, and then demonstrating the metaphorical character of the diseases that affect the mind rather than the brain. This book was originally published in 1987 by John Wiley

Epistemology · Insanity · Psychiatry · Psychoanalysis · Sociology · Mental Health and Psychiatry · Philosophy · Psychology

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