Re: new paper
On Thu, Mar 11, 2004 at 01:44:42PM -0500, Bryan Caplan wrote: My new paper on the economics of mental illness, entitled The Economics of Szasz can now be downloaded from my webpage at: http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/szaszjhe.doc The paper makes the point that what psychology views as mental diseases in many cases can be interpreted simply as extreme or unusual preferences, and in those cases involuntary psychiatric treatment can not be justified as a benefit for the patient. This makes sense to me, but perhaps involuntary psychiatric treatment can still be justified as a benefit for the younger version of the patient (i.e., before he became sick) who presumably had more normal preferences, and who would have prefered that he be given treatment to reverse any radical preference changes. Unlike with intra-family externality, the Coasean argument doesn't seem to apply here -- how would you negotiate side payments with your past self?
new paper
My new paper on the economics of mental illness, entitled The Economics of Szasz can now be downloaded from my webpage at: http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/szaszjhe.doc -- Prof. Bryan Caplan Department of Economics George Mason University http://www.bcaplan.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] I hope this has taught you kids a lesson: kids never learn. --Chief Wiggum, *The Simpsons*
Re: new paper
As a neutral party who's not mentioned in the acknowledgements and has never even met Bryan, I highly recommend this paper. It's fascinating! --Robert My new paper on the economics of mental illness, entitled The Economics of Szasz can now be downloaded from my webpage at: http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/szaszjhe.doc -- Prof. Bryan Caplan Department of Economics George Mason University http://www.bcaplan.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] I hope this has taught you kids a lesson: kids never learn. --Chief Wiggum, *The Simpsons*
