Thomas Szasz turned 90 on April 15, 2010. This year we saw the 50th anniversary edition of his book that marked his full-scale assault on coercive psychiatry—The Myth of Mental Illness. Szasz’s productivity is astounding—even in the past 4 years, he has added dozens of articles and a handful of major books to his incredible body of work (see http://www.szasz.com). Thomas Szasz has relentlessly and tirelessly challenged psychiatric coercion, and its twin pillars of civil commitment and the insanity defense. In so doing, his ongoing work is one of the world’s leading intellectual voices for liberty and justice. A systematic and regrettable effort to censor Szasz from the mainstream of mental health education today has resulted in many, if not most, young professionals scarcely even knowing of his vitally important work. Thomas Szasz is, to paraphrase the Emerson epigraph at the head of this essay, “a declaration of independence walking.” I am one among many who are better able to stand in defense of people as relational individuals, capable of responsibility and good will, deserving of liberty and self-determination. I offer this short biographical essay in his honor.
Breeding, J. ( 2009). Coercion as cure: A critical history of psychiatry by Thomas Szasz [Video review]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khCdfL39Cos
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Burston, D. ( 2003). Szasz, Laing, and existential psychotherapy. Retrieved from http://www.ehinstitute.org/01-20-2004(Accessed4-20-10).
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Frank, L.R. ( 2008). The electroshock quotationary. Available from www.endofshock.com
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Gatto, J. ( 2000). The underground history of American education. New York, NY: Oxford Village Press.
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Hoch, P. ( 2004). Appendix: Documents from the Szasz affair at Upstate . In J. A. Schaler (Ed.), Szasz under fire: The psychiatric abolitionist faces his critics (pp. 393-402). Chicago, IL: Open Court. (Original work published 1962)
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Hoeller, K. (Ed.). (1997). Thomas Szasz: Philosopher of psychiatry [Special issue]. Review of Existential Psychology and Psychiatry, 23(1-3).
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Schaler, J. A. (Ed.). (2004). Szasz under fire: The psychiatric abolitionist faces his critics. Chicago, IL: Open Court.
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Slovenko, R. ( 2004). On Thomas Szasz, the meaning of mental illness, and the therapeutic state: A critique. In J. A. Schaler (Ed.), Szasz under fire: The psychiatric abolitionist faces his critics (pp. 139-158). Chicago, IL: Open Court.
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Szasz, T. ( 1970). The manufacture of madness: A comparative study of the inquisition and the mental health movement. Syracuse, NY : Syracuse University Press.
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Szasz, T. ( 1997). Mental illness is still a myth. Review of Existential Psychology and Psychiatry, 23, 70-80.
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Szasz, T. ( 1999). Fatal freedom: The ethics and politics of suicide. Westport, CT: Praeger.
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Szasz, T. ( 2002). Liberation by oppression: A comparative study of slavery and psychiatry. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
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Szasz, T. ( 2004a). An autobiographical sketch. J. A. Schaler (Ed.), Szasz under fire: The psychiatric abolitionist faces his critics (pp. 1-28). Chicago, IL: Open Court.
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Szasz, T. ( 2004b). Politeness. In Words to the wise: A medical-philosophical dictionary. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
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Szasz, T. ( 2004c). Reply to Kendell. In J. A. Schaler (Ed.), Szasz under fire: The psychiatric abolitionist faces his critics (pp. 49-56). Chicago, IL: Open Court.
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Szasz, T. ( 2004d). Reply to Simon. In J. A. Schaler (Ed.), Szasz under fire: The psychiatric abolitionist faces his critics (pp. 202-224). Chicago, IL: Open Court.
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Szasz, T. ( 2004e). Reply to Slovenko. In J. A. Schaler (Ed.), Szasz under fire: The psychiatric abolitionist faces his critics (pp. 159-178). Chicago, IL: Open Court.
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Szasz, T. ( 2008). Debunking antipsychiatry. Existential Analysis, 19, 316-344.
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Wikipedia. (2010). Ignaz Semmelweis . Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis
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Wyatt, R. ( 2000). An interview with Thomas Szasz, MD: Liberty & the practice of psychotherapy. Retrieved from http://www.psychotherapy.net/interview/Thomas_Szasz
