Psychiatry is plagued with philosophical questions. What is a mental illness? Is it different from brain disease? Are criminal or political dissidents mentally ill? Are we all more or less mentally ill? Should we explain abnormal behaviour by reference to psychological forces, learning processes, social factors, or disease processes. This book sets out to answer these questions. Divided broadly into two halves, the first analyses arguments of psychiatry's critics and covers the philosophical ideas of such thinkers as Freud, Eysenck, Laing, Szasz, Sedgewick and Foucault. The second provides a...

By first analysing the arguments of psychiatry's critics and the philosophical ideas of such thinkers as Freud, Eysenck, Laing, Szasz, Sedgwick and Foucault and by then providing answers to the many contentious and diverse questions raised, Dr. Reznek aims to establish a philosophical defence of the theory and practice of psychiatry. As both a qualified philosopher and psychiatrist, the author is exceptionally p[laced to undertake the examination of a subject which has hitherto remained untackled. It will be easily accessible to a wide variety of non-specialists as well. It will be of...