Thomas Szasz

Date of Birth: April 15, 1920

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Date of Death: September 8, 2012

Biography

Thomas Szasz was a Hungarian-American psychiatrist and academic most notable for his criticism of psychiatry and the concept of mental illness. Born in Budapest, Hungary, Szasz emigrated to the United States in 1938. He completed his medical degree at the University of Cincinnati and later became a professor of psychiatry at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. Szasz is best known for his book “The Myth of Mental Illness” (1961), where he argued that mental illness is a metaphor for human problems in living and not a medical condition. His views have been highly influential and controversial, challenging the foundations of psychiatric practice. Throughout his career, Szasz was a prolific writer, authoring over 35 books and numerous articles. He was a staunch advocate for individual liberty and consistently argued against the coercive practices of psychiatry, such as involuntary commitment and forced treatment.

5 Interesting Facts about Thomas Szasz

1. Thomas Szasz co-founded the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) with the Church of Scientology to combat psychiatric abuses.

2. His book “The Myth of Mental Illness” is considered a seminal work in anti-psychiatry and has been translated into multiple languages.

3. Szasz was a vocal critic of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), arguing that it medicalizes personal and social issues.

4. He received the Thomas S. Szasz Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Civil Liberties from the Center for Independent Thought.

5. Despite his opposition to mainstream psychiatry, Szasz maintained his medical license and continued practicing psychiatry privately.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Thomas Szasz

1. “If you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia.”

2. “Mental illness is a myth, whose function is to disguise and thus render more palatable the bitter pill of moral conflicts in human relations.”

3. “He who does not accept and respect those who want to reject life does not truly accept and respect life itself.”

4. “Punishment is now unfashionable. We prefer a meaningless collective guilt to a meaningful individual responsibility.”

5. “In the animal kingdom, the rule is, eat or be eaten; in the human kingdom, define or be defined.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Thomas Szasz’s highest net worth is not widely documented, but his influence and contributions to psychiatry and philosophy are considered invaluable.