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Thomas Szasz

Thomas Szasz Quotes

Psychiatrist

Thomas Szasz, born on April 15, 1920 in Hungary, was a renowned American psychiatrist, writer, and philosopher. He is known for his critical views on psychiatry and liberalism, particularly his skepticism about the nature of mental illness and his emphasis on individual freedom.

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Famous Thomas Szasz Quotes

“The Nazis spoke of having a Jewish problem. We now speak of having a drug-abuse problem. Actually, "Jewish problem" was the name the Germans gave to their persecution of the Jews; "drug-abuse problem" is the name we give to the persecution of people who use certain drugs.”

People Giving Use Problem Certain Names Speak Drug Abuse Jew Spokes Nazi Persecution Drug Abuse

Author:Thomas Szasz

“If, nevertheless, textbooks of pharmacology legitimately contain a chapter on drug abuse and drug addiction, then, by the same token, textbooks of gynecology and urology should contain a chapter on prostitution; textbooks of physiology, a chapter on perversion; textbooks of genetics, a chapter on the racial inferiority of Jews and Negroes.”

Source: Ceremonial Chemistry: The Ritual Persecution of Drugs, Addicts, and Pushers

“The disease concept of homosexuality as with the disease concept of all so-called mental illnesses, such as alcoholism, drug addiction, or suicide conceals the fact that homosexuals are a group of medically stigmatized and socially persecuted individuals. ... Their anguished cries of protest are drowned out by the rhetoric of therapy just as the rhetoric of salvation drowned out the [cries] of heretics.”

Source: The Manufacture of Madness: A Comparative Study of the Inquisition and the Mental Health Movement

“After generations of living under medical tutelage, which provides us with protection (albeit illusory) against "dangerous drugs", we have failed to cultivate the self-reliance and self-discipline we must possess as competent adults surrounded by the fruits of our pharmacological-technological age.”

Self Age Generations Dangerous Discipline Drug Adults Fruit Protection Medical Self Discipline Technological Self Reliance Reliance Competent Illusory Dangerous Drugs Tutelage

Book:Our Right to Drugs: The Case for a Free Market

Source: Our Right to Drugs: The Case for a Free Market

“All drugs of any interest to any moderately intelligent person in America are now illegal.”

Persons Humor America Interest Drug Intelligent Addiction Alcohol Illegal Addict Alcoholics Cocaine Drug Addiction Drug Addict Intelligent Person Illegal Drugs Funny Drug

Author:Thomas Szasz

“I favor free trade in drugs for the same reason the Founding Fathers favored free trade in ideas: in a free society it is none of the government's business what ideas a man puts into his mind; likewise, it should be none of its business what drugs he puts into his body.”

Men Should Mind Ideas Reason Body Government Father Liberty Drug Trade Libertarian Favors Libertarianism Founding Free Society Free Trade

Author:Thomas Szasz

“Labeling a child as mentally ill is stigmatization, not diagnosis. Giving a child a psychiatric drug is poisoning, not treatment.”

Giving Children Drug Ill Treatment Diagnosis Poisoning Mentally Ill Labeling Psychiatric

Author:Thomas Szasz

“Why do children want to grow up? Because they experience their lives as constrained by immaturity and perceive adulthood as a condition of greater freedom and opportunity. But what is there today, in America, that very poor and very rich adolescents want to do but cannot do? Not much: they can do drugs, have sex, make babies, and get money (from their parents, crime, or the State). For such adolescents, adulthood becomes synonymous with responsibility rather than liberty. Is it any surprise that they remain adolescents?”