Thomas Szasz on Psychiatric Slavery Vis-à-Vis Restoring the African Personality

Abstract

Thomas Szasz was peerless in criticism of psychiatric establishmentarianism, particularly its embracing of “psychiatric slavery” (interventions imposed on persons by force). Selected from his matchless oeuvre, some fundamental points in his thinking—Szaszian thought—were scrutinized to evaluate whether they jibe with dictates from centered African Psychology which mandate setting afoot a new African descent person, particularly as depicted in Daudi Ajani ya Azibo’s leading works about African personality theory and practice. Results were mixed and suggest that Szaszians and African personality scholars may learn from each other.