Hi Elaine, Thanks for the reply. I've read just about everything Szasz has
written, I have all of his books. I think the best recommendation I could
make is Szasz's book Insanity The Idea and its Consequences. It's a very
entertaining book as well, Szasz does have a good sense of humor but he
plays it deadpan like a good commedian. Another very entertaining book is
The Meaning of Mind - this may be a little more specific to the mind-body
(mind-matter) question. The chapter I laughed through was Chapter 4,Brain:
The Abuse of Neuroscience.
Check out Szasz.com - Szasz Materials - lots of recent articles.

Martin

>From: "ELAINE" <lizral@...>
>Reply-To: thomasszaszdiscussion@yahoogroups.com
>To: <thomasszaszdiscussion@yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: [ThomasSzaszDiscussion] Szasz is not an anti-psychiatrist, but he
>does appear to be against the medical model
>Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 13:58:15 +1000
>
>Dear Martin,
>
>Am only half way through studying Szasz's "The Myth of Mental Illness". I
>get the impression that Szasz rejected the medical model of psychiatry,
>this reflected in his perception of the "tendency to force psychology into
>behaviorism or, that failing, to reduce it to its so-called physical and
>chemical basis" (pp.80-1) and yet he shows a very clear link between
>mental suffering and physical ailments/illness. If there is no duality, no
>distinction between mind and matter, then there can be no distinction
>between mental suffering and physical illness. This notion of duality is
>mere delusion. However, while the subject may enforce a split between mind
>and matter, the subject having chosen a state of disengagement, an
>alienated state of being, the subject cannot escape the affect this spilt
>has upon the physical form. With an enforced split between mind and matter
>there is no longer a flow, this flow ensuing the heal and well-being of the
>subject.
>
>Does one dare to question, does this enforced split between mind and matter
>actually create a literal distinction i.e. two entities. While initial
>withdrawl may have been chosen by the subject, the subject now in a
>disengaged or alienated state, is there or can there still be a subject in
>the physical whom with intention governs the process of change from
>malingering, to hysteria, to mental illness.
>
>Kind Regards
>Elaine
>
>
>
> > ELAINE: the name of Szasz's book is "Schizophrenia The Sacred Symbol of
> > Psychiatry", Chapter 2: "Anti-Psychiatry: The Model of the Plundered
>Mind"
> > where Szasz dissected Laing/Cooper's ideas showing the hypocrisy between
>what
> > Laing said and what Laing did. What is interesting is that many
>"educated"
> > commentators on Szasz group him with other anti-psychiatrists. Szasz is
>not
> > an anti-psychiatrist. Szasz has no problem with psychiatry as long it's
> > practiced as a free market relationship with no links to the State.
>That
> > means that psychiatrists can not imprison innocent people (called civil
> > commitment) and they can not transfer the guilty to a building called a
> > hospital.
> > Interestingly, Seth Farber's book: Madness, Heresy, and the Rumor of
>Angels
> > mentions several of Szasz's books in his recommended reading, but
> > Schizophrenia... is not because Farber liked Laing's ideas and naively
> > thought that people who read his book would ignore Szasz's book because
>it
> > wasn't mentioned.
> >
> > Martin
> >
> >
> >>From: "ELAINE" <lizral@...>
> >>Reply-To: thomasszaszdiscussion@yahoogroups.com
> >>To: <thomasszaszdiscussion@yahoogroups.com>
> >>Subject: [ThomasSzaszDiscussion] Another Book Mentioned
> >>Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 11:53:12 +1000
> >>
> >>Someone on this forum had also mentioned the name of a book, at least i
> >>think it was on this forum ;))) If i remember rightly the title was
> >>something like "Re-seating the Soul". Pleaseeeeeeeeee could someone
>repost
> >>details of the book that was mentioned.
> >>
> >>Also i would be grateful for suggestions as to books/papers that
>question
> >>whether mental illness is an illness or several illnesses in light of
>the
> >>works of R.D. Laing and Thomas Scasz.
> >>
> >>Any papers or articles u would be able to forward to me
> >>lizral@... or post on the forum would be very greatly
> >>appreciated.
> >>
> >>Kind Regards
> >>Elaine
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>
> >
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> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

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