Some comments on the recent book "Politics of the Mind: Marxism and Mental Distress" by Iain Ferguson.
"Simply stated, the central argument of this book is that it is the economic and political system under which we live - capitalism - which is responsible for the enormously high levels of mental health problems which we see in the world today." Iain Ferguson.
Simply stated, the "enormously high levels of mental health problems" is caused by the erroneous and oppressive belief that they exist.
Simply stated, the radical truth that we all need to recognize is that the belief in "mental illness" and "mental health" is part of a serious intellectual and cultural mistake.
Psychiatry is the pseudo-science that is based on this serious mistake.
Psychiatry is the basis for a state-backed system of poisoning, stigmatization, oppression and enslavement.
"... in a different kind of society, a society not based on exploitation and oppression but on equality and democratic control - a socialist society - levels of mental distress would be far lower." Iain Ferguson.
I agree with this.
I too believe in a free and socialist society.
But I believe that a truly liberated society is one free of the lies and oppression of psychiatry.
The only society in which there would be no so-called "mental illness" is a society free from the scourge of psychiatry, and free from a culture of belief in "mental illness" and "mental health".
It would seem that we have a long way to go, but the struggle against psychiatry is part of the struggle against the authoritarian state and the capitalist economy to which it is linked.
It is part of the struggle to freely create a different kind of society.
Were such a society created, mental distress would not disappear as Ferguson acknowledges. Mental distress is a part of the human condition. But "mental illness" will only disappear when we fully realize that it does not exist. This will involve the abolition of psychiatry as a powerful institution.
Szasz was a libertarian as this book says. It is probably wrong to characterize him as "right-wing", however. His supreme critique of psychiatry is not engaged with in this book. Its dismissal is a mistake.
Like Szasz and like Karl Marx, I am not a Marxist. I don't really think that Marxism has much to say about this issue.
But socialism is opposed to slavery and oppression, and psychiatric slavery and psychiatric oppression are widespread and grim realities for victims of psychiatry across the world.
All true socialists should struggle against psychiatry.
.......
If Karl Marx was alive today I am sure he would oppose the inherent injustices of psychiatry and fight psychiatric slavery. I feel sure he would be anti-Psychiatry.
Marx believed in freedom and justice without a shadow of a doubt.
"Simply stated, the central argument of this book is that it is the economic and political system under which we live - capitalism - which is responsible for the enormously high levels of mental health problems which we see in the world today." Iain Ferguson.
Simply stated, the "enormously high levels of mental health problems" is caused by the erroneous and oppressive belief that they exist.
Simply stated, the radical truth that we all need to recognize is that the belief in "mental illness" and "mental health" is part of a serious intellectual and cultural mistake.
Psychiatry is the pseudo-science that is based on this serious mistake.
Psychiatry is the basis for a state-backed system of poisoning, stigmatization, oppression and enslavement.
"... in a different kind of society, a society not based on exploitation and oppression but on equality and democratic control - a socialist society - levels of mental distress would be far lower." Iain Ferguson.
I agree with this.
I too believe in a free and socialist society.
But I believe that a truly liberated society is one free of the lies and oppression of psychiatry.
The only society in which there would be no so-called "mental illness" is a society free from the scourge of psychiatry, and free from a culture of belief in "mental illness" and "mental health".
It would seem that we have a long way to go, but the struggle against psychiatry is part of the struggle against the authoritarian state and the capitalist economy to which it is linked.
It is part of the struggle to freely create a different kind of society.
Were such a society created, mental distress would not disappear as Ferguson acknowledges. Mental distress is a part of the human condition. But "mental illness" will only disappear when we fully realize that it does not exist. This will involve the abolition of psychiatry as a powerful institution.
Szasz was a libertarian as this book says. It is probably wrong to characterize him as "right-wing", however. His supreme critique of psychiatry is not engaged with in this book. Its dismissal is a mistake.
Like Szasz and like Karl Marx, I am not a Marxist. I don't really think that Marxism has much to say about this issue.
But socialism is opposed to slavery and oppression, and psychiatric slavery and psychiatric oppression are widespread and grim realities for victims of psychiatry across the world.
All true socialists should struggle against psychiatry.
.......
If Karl Marx was alive today I am sure he would oppose the inherent injustices of psychiatry and fight psychiatric slavery. I feel sure he would be anti-Psychiatry.
Marx believed in freedom and justice without a shadow of a doubt.
