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Reification and Psychiatry
Reification and Psychiatry
Reification and Psychiatry
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Reification, is the idea that one can inauthentically take an abstract concept and
then treat it as if it is real or concrete. While I have previously argued that there is a
major conceptual problem with reification, I would like to put that argument on the back
In the past, Reification has been used to critique such concepts as liberty, justice,
law, etc., However, Reification has not, to my knowledge been used in the area of
psychiatry. I would like to argue that the major diagnostic categories for psychiatry are
in fact reified concepts and therefore invalid. Thus, I argue that schizophrenia, schizo-
affective disorder, and bipolar disorder are all reified concepts and therefore invalid.
Let us consider bipolar disorder, for example. First, psychiatry comes up with
the label “Bipolar Disorder,” gives that label a particular definition, and then
pronounces the disorder to be real or concrete. In fact, Bipolar disorder is simply made
treats as being real, when it is not. Bipolar disorder is simply a social construct. This is