"Nail bomber David Copeland is a paranoid schizophrenic who ran a hate campaign against minorities, his defence lawyer has told the Old Bailey. "
David Copeland is a "paranoid schizophrenic"?
Bollocks!
There is no such thing as "paranoid schizophrenia"!
The term is from the early twentieth century and is of no more scientific use than a phrenology diagram or an astrological star sign.
It is pseudo-science.
There is quite simply no specific condition or illness called "paranoid schizophrenia" and it is a travesty of justice that anyone can use a "diagnosis" of this non-existent illness as a supposed "insanity defence".
The insanity defence for those who have no physiological disability or impairment is a logical absurdity and should be abolished.
"Catatonia", "hebrephenia", "paranoia", all these are observations not diagnoses.
We are dealing with pseudo-science.
It's a disgrace that Copeland can be described as such in the 21st century.
Let's say that paranoia is thinking that everyone is out to get you and that you are very special.
Now absolutely anyone can think these things. So though it may be a well-defined psychological tendency that occurs in many people it can't really be called an illness.
It could be called an illness metaphorically. But a metaphorical illness is a metaphor, not an illness.
Ironically, were Copeland given the meaningless diagnonsense of "schizophrenia" in 1930s Germany he would have been one of the first victims of the Nazis he so admires.
.....
David Copeland is a "paranoid schizophrenic"?
Bollocks!
There is no such thing as "paranoid schizophrenia"!
The term is from the early twentieth century and is of no more scientific use than a phrenology diagram or an astrological star sign.
It is pseudo-science.
There is quite simply no specific condition or illness called "paranoid schizophrenia" and it is a travesty of justice that anyone can use a "diagnosis" of this non-existent illness as a supposed "insanity defence".
The insanity defence for those who have no physiological disability or impairment is a logical absurdity and should be abolished.
"Catatonia", "hebrephenia", "paranoia", all these are observations not diagnoses.
We are dealing with pseudo-science.
It's a disgrace that Copeland can be described as such in the 21st century.
Let's say that paranoia is thinking that everyone is out to get you and that you are very special.
Now absolutely anyone can think these things. So though it may be a well-defined psychological tendency that occurs in many people it can't really be called an illness.
It could be called an illness metaphorically. But a metaphorical illness is a metaphor, not an illness.
Ironically, were Copeland given the meaningless diagnonsense of "schizophrenia" in 1930s Germany he would have been one of the first victims of the Nazis he so admires.
.....