I think the difference in our opinions are less than you think it is, you argue from a point of personal autonomy, and I get that, my argument is they have already lost their autonomy due to mental illness.
So if they have no autonomy already, society needs to error on the side of making sure they get appropriate care, especially when the alternative is utter destitution and death.
I think that’s an incredibly risky philosophical position to take that should be examined in conjunction with discussing it with people of varying mental illnesses and recovery statuses.
Especially when we discuss the sane choosing for the insane we run the risk of unknown cruelty. Mentally well people have a long history of assuming they know what’s best for the unwell and in doing so accidentally doing something harmful. Things like criticizing the bodies of anorexic people, shaming those struggling with executive function, blunt refutation of delusion, basically whatever Phil McGraw does on his show.
So is it anyone with a mental illness that refuses treatment that can be institutionalized? Only certain disorders/symptoms? Only certain severities? Will we know it when we see it or will we accept that some people who seem like they should be won’t be or vice versa? Are we comfortable with the risks of abuse of power here? What about the weight of bias from the part of the mental health professionals assuming anyone in front of them must be unwell? In diagnosis there is no madman’s advocate, even when the cost of diagnosis is difficult to distinguish from imprisonment.
That’s the whole point, if the insane had the capacity to choose for themselves, they wouldn’t be insane. 😉
I argue that if personal autonomy leads to being homeless on the side of the freeway and, ultimately a miserable existence and death, society has an obligation to step in.
At some point, someone needs to recognize that that level of autonomy is going to cause a preventable death.
I think the difference in our opinions are less than you think it is, you argue from a point of personal autonomy, and I get that, my argument is they have already lost their autonomy due to mental illness.
So if they have no autonomy already, society needs to error on the side of making sure they get appropriate care, especially when the alternative is utter destitution and death.
I think that’s an incredibly risky philosophical position to take that should be examined in conjunction with discussing it with people of varying mental illnesses and recovery statuses.
Especially when we discuss the sane choosing for the insane we run the risk of unknown cruelty. Mentally well people have a long history of assuming they know what’s best for the unwell and in doing so accidentally doing something harmful. Things like criticizing the bodies of anorexic people, shaming those struggling with executive function, blunt refutation of delusion, basically whatever Phil McGraw does on his show.
So is it anyone with a mental illness that refuses treatment that can be institutionalized? Only certain disorders/symptoms? Only certain severities? Will we know it when we see it or will we accept that some people who seem like they should be won’t be or vice versa? Are we comfortable with the risks of abuse of power here? What about the weight of bias from the part of the mental health professionals assuming anyone in front of them must be unwell? In diagnosis there is no madman’s advocate, even when the cost of diagnosis is difficult to distinguish from imprisonment.
That’s the whole point, if the insane had the capacity to choose for themselves, they wouldn’t be insane. 😉
I argue that if personal autonomy leads to being homeless on the side of the freeway and, ultimately a miserable existence and death, society has an obligation to step in.
At some point, someone needs to recognize that that level of autonomy is going to cause a preventable death.