What is Thomas Szasz?
[[File:Dr Thomas S Szasz.jpg|thumb|Thomas Szasz (2010)]] '''Thomas Stephen Szasz''' (April 15, 1920 – September 8, 2012) was a [[psychiatrist]] and [[academic]]. He was a [[libertarian]]. In 1961 Szasz's third and most well known book, ''The Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct'', was published. Szasz died when he was 92.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/health/dr-thomas-szasz-psychiatrist-who-led-movement-against-his-field-dies-at-92.html|title=Dr. Thomas Szasz, Psychiatrist Who Led Movement Against His Field, Dies at 92|first=Benedict|last=Carey|work=The New York Times |date=11 September 2012|publisher=|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> ==Early life== Szasz was born in [[Budapest]] in [[Hungary]] to [[Jewish]] parents. He grew up speaking [[German language|German]] and [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]. He also spoke [[French language|French]]. In 1938 Szasz moved with his family to the [[United States]]. He studied [[medicine]] at the [[University of Cincinnati]]. However, he was more interested in [[politics]] and [[philosophy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aeon.co/essays/the-psychiatrist-who-didn-t-believe-in-mental-illness|title=The psychiatrist who didn't believe in mental illness – Holly Case - Aeon Essays|website=Aeon}}</ref> In 1956 Szasz became a [[professor]] of [[psychiatry]] at the [[State University of New York]] in [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]]. ==Szasz's arguments== Szasz was a [[heretic]] in psychiatry. This means that his opinions were very different to the ideas generally accepted within psychiatry. He said that psychiatry is a [[pseudoscience]]. He compared it to [[religion]]. In ''Schizophrenia: The Sacred Symbol of Psychiatry'', Szasz argued that [[schizophrenia]] is a [[symbol]] that is 'worshipped' by psychiatrists in the same way that [[Christians]] worship [[Jesus Christ|Christ]].<ref>{{cite book| last = Szasz| first = Thomas| title = Schizophrenia: The Sacred Symbol of Psychiatry| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=d840e94r4y0C| year =