Szasz, Thomas

Thomas Szasz was a psychiatrist known for his critique of mental illness as a medical disease. He argued that what we often call mental illness is more accurately a metaphor for problems in living or moral issues, rather than biological disorders. Szasz believed that labeling individuals as mentally ill can unjustly deprive them of personal responsibility and autonomy. He emphasized personal choice and criticized the overreach of psychiatric authority, advocating for a focus on individual freedom and responsibility rather than medicalization of human experiences. His views sparked significant debate about ethics, mental health, and human rights.