The Mental Illness Dispute: The Critical Faith Assumptions

Abstract

The writings of Thomas Szasz over the past twenty years have produced ardent defenders and vehement critics. Unfortunately, much of the criticism is either of an ad hominem type or is based on misunderstanding(s) of Szasz's arguments. Some recent critiques, however, raise critical issues which reflect the different philosophical starting points or assumptions which distinguish Szasz from his critics. In this article, we delineate the hidden assumptions which underlie much of the debate over the existence of “mental illness” and argue that these critical assumptions are not amenable to confirmation or disconfirmation.