A larger point, however, is that Nietzsche's quote that "errors of great men are venerable because they are more fruitful than the truths of little men" fully applies to Szasz. He might have been wrong on technical aspects of schizophrenia - mainly because science was not there yet - but his broader argument that many so called mental disorders are in fact labels denoting socially unacceptable behavior still stands.
Wojtek
Schizophrenia is associated with subtle differences in brain structures, found in 40 to 50% of cases, and in brain chemistry during acute psychotic states.[2] Studies using neuropsychological tests and brain imaging technologies such as fMRI and PET to examine functional differences in brain activity have shown that differences seem to most commonly occur in the frontal lobes, hippocampus and temporal lobes.[52] Reductions in brain volume, smaller than those found in Alzheimer's disease, have been reported in areas of the frontal cortex and temporal lobes. It is uncertain whether these volumetric changes are progressive or preexist prior to the onset of the disease.[53] These differences have been linked to the neurocognitive deficits often associated with schizophrenia.[54] Because neural circuits are altered, it has alternatively been suggested that schizophrenia should be thought of as a collection of neurodevelopmental disorders.[55] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia
On Wed, Sep 12, 2012 at 11:17 PM, Miles Jackson
<milesvjackson at comcast.net> wrote:
> Wojtek S wrote:
>
>> [WS:] Szasz was my hero in my college years and an authority I quoted
>> in my discussions with my ex-girlfriend, herself a psychology major.
>> But unfortunately his views were later undermined by the progress made
>> by science. His views on schizophrenia - which I took for granted in
>> college - proved to be wrong.
>>
>
> What was he wrong about? (Serious question.)
>
> miles
>
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-- Wojtek
"An anarchist is a neoliberal without money."