ABSTRACT
The arguments that Thomas Szasz put forward in his book The myth of mental illness (1961) are summarized and critiqued. Although Szasz was justified in claiming that woes have been medicalised, he can be criticised for believing that the natural sciences have no part to play in their investigation and resolution. The arguments of various supporters of the medical view that woes are illnesses are outlined and rebutted. Abandoning the concept of mental illness raises a number of political and social policy issues and, in particular, how responsibility for responding to woes should be shared between State, community, and citizen. Szasz’s advocacy of free will and personal responsibility highlights the role of a person’s choices but in doing so he does not situate woes in a broader social context nor consider the ways in which peers and community can contribute to their resolution.
