Ceremonial Chemistry: The Ritual Persecution of Drugs, Addicts, and Pushers, Revised EditionResponding to the controversy surrounding drug use and drug criminalization, Thomas Szasz suggests that the "therapeutic state" has overstepped its bounds in labeling certain drugs as "dangerous" substances and incarcerating drug "addicts" in order to cure them. Szasz shows that such policies scapegoat certain drugs as well as the persons who sell, buy, or use them; and 'misleadingly pathologize the "drug problem" by defining disapproved drug use as "disease" and efforts to change the behavior as "treatment." Readers will find in Szasz's arguments a cogent and committed response to a worldwide debate. |
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User Review - CenterPointMN - LibraryThingThe ritual persectution of drugs, addicts and pushers Aim of the book is to identify the actual occurrences that constitute our so called drug problem. To show that these phenomena in fact consist of ... Read full review
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See page 26 for the roots of both the Hebrew and Christian prohibitions against drug use. Traced from ancient Greece, to the Inquisition, we find reference to the word "pharmakos." This passage will explain exactly, where the very roots of these prohibitions are. This material has been known to surprise those prone to making the standard, vaporous explanations as to "why." I read this book over 30 years ago.
Contents
1 The Discovery of Drug Addiction | 3 |
2 The Scapegoat as Drug and the Drug as Scapegoat | 19 |
The Faith of the Faithless | 29 |
4 Communions Holy and Unholy | 39 |
PHARMACOMYTHOLOGY MEDICINE AS MAGIC | 59 |
Persecutions for Witchcraft and Drugcraft | 61 |
The Model American Scapegoats | 75 |
The Conversion Cure of Malcolm X | 89 |
Panaceas and Panapathogens | 137 |
The Moral Perspective Reconsidered | 153 |
Authority versus Autonomy | 175 |
AFTERWORD | 183 |
A Synoptic History of the Promotion and Prohibition of Drugs | 195 |
The War on Drugs 19742003 | 225 |
NOTES | 253 |
| 273 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accepted actually agents alcohol American Association authority become behavior believe body called cause century ceremonial chapter Christian cocaine concerning conduct considered course dangerous dangerous drugs death disease doctors drink drug abuse drug addiction effects effort especially example fact federal force give habit hence heroin holy human Ibid illicit important Indians individual less live Malcolm marijuana means medicine mental million moral Muslims narcotics nature obesity offer opium patients perhaps person physicians political practice prison problem production prohibited psychiatric pushers Quoted reasons religion religious reports respect ritual rules scapegoat scientific self-control Sell sick similar smoking social society substances symbolic temptation term therapeutic things Thomas tion tobacco treat treatment United wine witches writes York
Bibliographic information
| Title | Ceremonial Chemistry: The Ritual Persecution of Drugs, Addicts, and Pushers, Revised Edition |
| Author | Thomas Szasz |
| Edition | illustrated, revised |
| Publisher | Syracuse University Press, 2003 |
| ISBN | 0815607687, 9780815607687 |
| Length | 312 pages |
| Subjects | › › Political Science / Public Policy / Cultural Policy Social Science / Popular Culture |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |