Lesson 2 - Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Behaviour
Historical Perspectives
Plato and Aristotle
The writings and theories of Plato and Aristotle followed those of Hippocrates. Plato (429-347 B.C.) understood that behaviours resulting from mental illness needed special consideration. He thought that if a disturbed individual committed some crime, that person should pay for the damages and receive no other punishment because of the mental illness. If the individual were severely ill or insane, the person should be removed from open view (out of the “public eye”) and cared for by relatives. In making these suggestions, Plato was addressing issues that are still controversial, namely the “insanity defence” and how properly to treat people with abnormal behaviour. When speaking of abnormal behaviour in this course, the term insanity is not used. Insanity and sanity are now considered legal terms. A person can be a little depressed or greatly depressed, but a person cannot be deemed a little bit insane.
The “not guilty by reason of insanity” defense was formally introduced in a court of law in the mid-1800’s when a deluded man tried to shoot the British Prime Minister (whom he thought was persecuting him.) The man, Daniel M’Naghten, shot the Minister’s secretary by mistake. M’Naghten was sent to a mental hospital instead of jail, which greatly dismayed the general public of that time.
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