Posted by trouble on March 4, 2002, at 2:32:04
In reply to insane people are NOT bereft of reason?!?!, posted by ambrosialdelight on March 3, 2002, at 22:14:02
Ambrosiadelight,
I'm not quite clear on why this post was directed to me. As I said, hard science, being the standard of proof, renders these questions of proof of sanity philosophical, not scientific.
It is also important that one keeps in mind that "insanity" is a legal term, not psychological, though I toss it around a lot myself, for dramatic effect.
But was there something in that post I was unclear on? Perhaps your interest in this issue constitutes the generation of a brand new thread, since I don't see what more I can add to the present discussion, given its underpinnings. The only thing I can add to your post that I haven't already said refers to your last line, as I understood it. It is my opinion that insane people are not necessarily unaware that they are insane.
I also believe in "levels of awareness", ie human beings are often aware, despite protestations to the contrary, of threatening information about themeselves on deep levels, which are revealed in dreams and forgetting and slips and so on.On a personal note I am aware that I am at times psychotic, but that comes after the fact. During a psychosis I believe my perceptions are accurate, indeed, this is the very definition of "psychosis". So if "our little exchange" were to take place during a psychotic episode it would prove that in that moment I'd been bereft of reason, as to whether or not I was "insane" would be a matter for the courts to decide.
My own pdoc is a forensic psychiatrist, and thus considered an expert in the eyes of the law, and though he has pronounced me psychotic, he poo-poos my concerns regarding my sanity, as if to say, kid you should see what I see.
Gets complicated, no?trouble
> the fact that we had that little exchange proves that insane people can reason. However, If we are insane then it does not proove anything. Can you prove that we are not insane? But if we are insane and are unaware of it then any proof of our sanity that we provide is naught. And if we were insane, then we would not try to prove our sanity unless we were unaware that we are insane.
poster:trouble
thread:18768
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020223/msgs/19193.html