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supergeeI could do the easy popular, thing and say that evolutionary psychologists have a First Amendment right to their beliefs, but it would be wrong. EvPsych is a contagious disease; let one vector loose, and all around them will start believing that men and women are absolute opposites and that brutal competition is the only way to survive. The Republican Wards are thus a necessary public health measure…
But Seriously Folks. Thomas Szasz never said that there are no crazy people. (Even R.D. Laing didn't.) He said that "mental illness" is a metaphor, rather than a simple description, so we must always examine particular uses to make sure the metaphor works. Maybe the most dangerous misuse is the image of contagion, whereby beliefs and behaviors we don't like are treated not as matters of individual choice but as plagues that can infect innocent outsiders. Treating Judaism as such is seriously out of fashion, but there's still some enthusiasm for applying the image to homosexuality, obesity, (some) drug use, and other offenses. I'm happy to see an allegedly scientific plague scare debunked.
Thanx to Follow Me Here
But Seriously Folks. Thomas Szasz never said that there are no crazy people. (Even R.D. Laing didn't.) He said that "mental illness" is a metaphor, rather than a simple description, so we must always examine particular uses to make sure the metaphor works. Maybe the most dangerous misuse is the image of contagion, whereby beliefs and behaviors we don't like are treated not as matters of individual choice but as plagues that can infect innocent outsiders. Treating Judaism as such is seriously out of fashion, but there's still some enthusiasm for applying the image to homosexuality, obesity, (some) drug use, and other offenses. I'm happy to see an allegedly scientific plague scare debunked.
Thanx to Follow Me Here
