Fenderico, Alex2024-11-132024-11-132024Fenderico, Alex. (2024). A Philosophical Examination of Thomas Szasz on Mental Illness as a Myth [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg].https://hdl.handle.net/10539/42405A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024The field of psychiatry has encountered substantial scrutiny pertaining to its diagnostic and therapeutic modalities since the inception of the antipsychiatry movement in the 1960s. A prominent figure within this movement was Thomas Szasz, a Hungarian-American psychiatrist whose influence looms large. Szasz, inspired by the ideas of Michel Foucault, posited that psychiatry functions as a ‘locus of control’ designed to subjugate and pacify societal masses into compliance. His seminal work, "The Myth of Mental Illness," expressed the argument that the medicalisation of mental illness is inherently problematic, constituting a category error of profound significance and resulting in harmful stigmatisation. Szasz advocated for the extrication of mental illness, or as he preferred, 'problems in living,' from the view of the medical domain. Instead, he proposed a paradigm shift towards addressing these issues through social frameworks, particularly emphasizing psychotherapy or counselling as opposed to reliance on psychiatric medications. Szasz's perspectives yielded both enthusiastic support and strong criticism, and contemporary theorists, such as Gabor Maté, persist in echoing his sentiments to this day. The objective of this report is to critically examine Szasz's theoretical position, as well as to present a concerted effort to substantiate its enduring relevance in the current intellectual milieu.en© 2024 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.Mental illness, Antipsychiatry, Thomas Szasz, Problems in LivingSDG-3: Good health and well-beingDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg