Hi Scott,
>Also, Kristeva seems unaware of the studies that have
been done of 'psychotic discourse' which indicate that
it (some of it, at least) is meaningful, does employ
tokens of meaning in an organised fashion...<
Wasn't it Laing, though, who pioneered this very approach? That
you only had to *listen* closely enough to discover the meaning in
psychotic discourse? This to me was his greatest achievement --
the apprehension that Meaning was not the sole possession of
those wearing the white coats.
His mistrust of drug-use in the treatment of schizophrenia stemmed
from this very idea, i.e. it was more convenient to shut people up
than it was to confront what they were saying, in traditional practice.
Drugs simply immobilised the patient to the point where meaningful
discourse became quickly impossible.
I would argue that this 'was an easy decision to make' pre-Laing,
very much to the convenience of the medical establishment and
to the appaling detrement of a great number of patients. Although
it is fair to question Laing's idealism, in taking a radically opposite
path according to his own faith in the matter, I would say this was
a move which had to be made. Otherwise the patient-as-object
approach would still be in full-swing, and the 'bins' would be a
great deal fuller.
>schizophrenics who killed themselves <
No doubt Laing would argue that they had the right to do so, as
do we all, for whatever reasons possess us.
Andy
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