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On Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:19:05 +0000 Lenin's Tomb <leninstombb...@googlemail.com> writes: > > On 13/11/2011 17:05, Tom Cod wrote: > > Yeah, I dunno, I was never into the personal is political mantra, > but > > this is really over the top. I wonder what French feminists had > to > > say about this. I note that the defense of "diminished > > responsibility", rightly or wrongly, has been abolished in most of > the > > US. The guy kills his wife in a horrific act of domestic violence > and > > it gets brushed off as an episode of his self reported and self > > serving mental illness. > > I'm afraid you don't know what you're talking about. Althusser's > mental > illness was well known to friends, associates, medical professionals > and > his wife. He had spent time repeatedly in psychiatric clinics, for > > longer periods each time. Everyone who knew him knew of his > torment. > His severe and worsening manic depression was diagnosed and subject > to > ongoing treatment, not merely self-reported. Richard is certainly correct about that. Althusser suffered from manic depression for virtually his entire adult life. He was hospitalized many times for it and endured virtually every treatment that French psychiatry had available. Everything from psychoanalytic talk therapy, to drug therapies and even shock therapy. These treatments did seem to give him temporary relief but no permanent cure. > > I don't know what the attitude of French feminists is, or why only > French feminists should have a point of view about the killing of > Helene > Althusser, but I would imagine most aren't inclined to scoff at the > > subject of mental illness, or to dismantle the defence of > "diminished > responsibility" just because a country as uncivilised as the United > > States does so. That in fact did become a big controversy in France at the time. As I understand things, French laws concerning diminished responsibility were tightened up, possibly in part as a reaction to Althusser's case. The French equivalent to the tabloid press certainly made a big deal over it. And various French intellectuals felt the need to weigh in on it, either pro or con. Interestingly enough, Catholic intellectuals were among some of Althusser's strongest defenders. Jim Farmelant http://independent.academia.edu/JimFarmelant www.foxymath.com Learn or Review Basic Math > > ________________________________________________ > Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu > Set your options at: > http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/farmelantj%4 0juno.com > ____________________________________________________________ 57 Year Old Mom Looks 27 Mom Reveals $3 Wrinkle Trick Angering Doctors... http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4ec00178d15311428f5fst06vuc ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu Set your options at: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
