Szasz and the Unreliable Reader When is a ‘critique’ not a critique?

Abstract

This paper shows that Szasz (1) opposed the presumption of illness; (2) duelled with dualism; (3) researched the history of ‘hysteria’; (4) perceived its profound paradigmatic potential; (5) confirmed the compassion of the confused; (6) denounced ‘mental health’ and ‘anti-psychiatry’; (7) rejected the role of ‘physician’ to the ‘mentally ill’. Key words Szasz, paradigm, hysteria, illness, dualism, Cartesian, scientistic, communication