Devil's Advocate
02-23-2013, 01:48 PM
Many people worry that psychology is a guise for political correctness in which the underlying intuitions behind what's politically correct become used to justify mental disorders.
However, there's also the matter that correcting mental disorders is not something that the mentally disordered will necessarily be willing to consent to. In turn, the mentally disordered can make bad decisions which impact others in society.
Traditionally, people used to go to Church, and they would give confessions to a priest to help with life's problems. This was mandatory since everyone went to Church, and everyone donated to the Church such that the priest was "well paid". Everyone also participated in Church, so the priest could give confidential advice given his familiarity with what's going on.
Today, people don't necessarily go to Church, and there's a variety of denominations, so relying on priestly counsel isn't what it used to be. Instead, people have to see professionals, get institutionalized, and take medications. These all represent conflicts of interest because those who are privately employed only get paid as long as they have patients in need of help. If a patient is helped too fast, the professional won't be paid anymore.
Furthermore, it's possible that a professional encounters a patient with personal value conflicts such that the professional simply hides behind professional ethics while a patient wastes one's time. Professionals can also have questionable values such that patients aren't necessarily being well taken care of. After all, if a patient is disorderly and a professional doesn't help a patient, who is the patient going to complain to in society to tarnish the professional's reputation?
My argument here is that given the secular character of modern society, psychology should be administered through the government and paid through taxes. That way, patients aren't exposed to professional conflicts of interest or moral hazard. Furthermore, it prevents victims of others' mental disorders from having to pay for the disorderly's conduct.
A classic example of this is a psychopath who doesn't want to get help. If the psychopath doesn't get help, everyone else in society will become vulnerable to being abused which can lead to becoming mentally disordered (i.e. anxiety, depression, etc.). The psychopath should also have to pay for the services one receives despite not wanting to get help.
Additionally, when psychology is administered through government, the government can modify other public policies (such as education and health care) in order to alleviate and prevent mental disorders in the first place.
However, there's also the matter that correcting mental disorders is not something that the mentally disordered will necessarily be willing to consent to. In turn, the mentally disordered can make bad decisions which impact others in society.
Traditionally, people used to go to Church, and they would give confessions to a priest to help with life's problems. This was mandatory since everyone went to Church, and everyone donated to the Church such that the priest was "well paid". Everyone also participated in Church, so the priest could give confidential advice given his familiarity with what's going on.
Today, people don't necessarily go to Church, and there's a variety of denominations, so relying on priestly counsel isn't what it used to be. Instead, people have to see professionals, get institutionalized, and take medications. These all represent conflicts of interest because those who are privately employed only get paid as long as they have patients in need of help. If a patient is helped too fast, the professional won't be paid anymore.
Furthermore, it's possible that a professional encounters a patient with personal value conflicts such that the professional simply hides behind professional ethics while a patient wastes one's time. Professionals can also have questionable values such that patients aren't necessarily being well taken care of. After all, if a patient is disorderly and a professional doesn't help a patient, who is the patient going to complain to in society to tarnish the professional's reputation?
My argument here is that given the secular character of modern society, psychology should be administered through the government and paid through taxes. That way, patients aren't exposed to professional conflicts of interest or moral hazard. Furthermore, it prevents victims of others' mental disorders from having to pay for the disorderly's conduct.
A classic example of this is a psychopath who doesn't want to get help. If the psychopath doesn't get help, everyone else in society will become vulnerable to being abused which can lead to becoming mentally disordered (i.e. anxiety, depression, etc.). The psychopath should also have to pay for the services one receives despite not wanting to get help.
Additionally, when psychology is administered through government, the government can modify other public policies (such as education and health care) in order to alleviate and prevent mental disorders in the first place.