Thomas Szasz: The role of the State

There is a link below to a book where Thomas Szasz expands on some of the themes discussed in these videos:

The Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct
It was published around the same time that these films were recorded.

A conversation with Thomas Szasz. Filmed at the Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Mental Health where he discusses 'does mental illness exist?'

Dr Thomas Szasz, a founder of the 'anti-psychiatry' movement, gives an overview of the ideas he has developed and written about over the past 60 years.

[whotelakecity]

Thank you for recording and making it available to public.

[whiff]

Thomas Szasz is not an anti-psychiatrist, anymore than he is an anti-Capitalist. Thomas Szasz's central thesis pertains to the freedom to contract and the freedom from coercion, be it of the state or of other individuals. In a marketplace, be it of ideas, goods, or, services, the right to contract, freed of any coercive aspect(s), is what separates Liberty from tyranny.

[stevekaylor]

The role of the State is to Promote the General Welfare of the People and their Posterity. The role of a Mental Health system is to give people aesthetic Talent Training - so they can develop a mental + emotional cathexis, which is mental health!

[simplestickman]

he wouldn't cough like that in 2021, which makes me even more interested in hearing his thoughts.

[atwaterpub]

15:00 At the time of the Bolshevik revolution, 60% of Moscow's working population was homeless and living under their workbenches with their families. Truth. THIS is the glory of capitalism. At the same time 10% of the population of Moscow were fabulously wealthy and spent their lives attending parties and events.

[atwaterpub]

Today, there are 90, 000 homeless people living and dying on the streets of Los Angeles. FACT

[ilovecoffee]

Magna Carta did not try to restrict the power of corporations over the government, quite the opposite, it gave more rights to the Barons of England.

[PhilipShawn]

The COMPULSION to re-hurt to " get-even."

[matejhorvat]

what about the rest of us who don't want state protection.i guess all we wan't for the state to withdraw from our lives

[yosefzee]

Love how that sign language lady intimates the word "crazy."

[atwaterpub]

"capitalism" is different than "commercialism" ... With all due respect, I think that Dr. Szasz has the terms "confused" Most of the time when he says "capitalism" he seems to be talking about commercialism. Commercialism is exchange of goods and services for money. Capitalism is the creation of business entities that are given the role of a citizen and work to accumulate money and devalue the worker. (THAT is why capitalist societies have so many homeless and poor people and a small, fabulously wealthy oligarchy)

[citizensofa]

Freedom has nothing necessarily to do with capitalism.

[atwaterpub]

Presently, 1/6 of the entire population of the USA is taking Doctor prescribed psychoactive medicine.

[atwaterpub]

"Capitalism is anti human" - Zobo the Clown

[tombabcok]

Of course he’s a fucking libertarian. “The capitalist system worked for me therefore it’s perfect. Social services are the root of the problem “

He’s got good points about coercion and overuse of diagnosis. I’m sure there’s better philosophers on the subject.