Dowling College PHL 142A
Philosophy of Psychiatry Spring 2002
Midterm Exam. 80 minutes.
Closed book. You can bring in up
to two 3 x 5” index cards, with handwritten notes on them.
I will ask you to answer two
questions out of four of the following five; so you need to prepare at least 3
answers.
1. Outline in some detail some of the main different explanations of
the causes and nature of depression.
Make sure to explain which theories are compatible or competing with
which, both for the explanation of one particular person’s depression, and for
the depression in a large population of people.
2. Explain the debate about alcoholism between Fingarette and
Madsen. Try to isolate particular
points of disagreement. You should NOT
include your own opinion about which side of the debate is correct.
3. Explain Lawrie Reznek’s view about what disease is, and why he
thinks that alcoholism should count as a disease. Then explain ONE objection to his view that he considers, and
explain how he refutes that objection.
4. Explain the M’Naghten/McNaughton Rules for the insanity
defense. Compare these to the ALI test
for insanity. Briefly discuss which approach
is used in US Law.
5. Outline the arguments of Thomas Szasz against the very idea of
mental illness, and then explain how Michael Moore replies to those arguments.