How does Karl Marx view Mental Illness?

Question

detailed answer

Answer 1

I cant recall anything off the top of my head directly attributable to him...though there might be something. If your looking for a marxist perspective there could be a few directions to go.

1) Marxists would be interested in how mental illness was defined. Who has a say in what these definitions are and who does not have a say? Is there different application for relatively similar conditions through the use of labels and class positioning? If the answers to these questions can be answered in a way that projects differences in class, marxists may argue there is a class based element in the construction and application of mental illness.

2) Some may view capitalism as a system which can contribute to mental illness. If theres anything quotable from marx it probably falls within this line of thinking, as it was quite popular in his period for contemporaries to blame the fast pace of modern life on numerous mental illnesses...though mostly within class distinctions. So it perhaps could be argued mental illness is a part of an antagonistic society in which human interests and the human mind cannot be protected.

Answer 2

Karl Marx didn't talk about mental illness at all.

Answer 3

Mental Illness is the result of a sick society.

For instance,when there are competition between people and cooperation does not exist mental illness grow in his point of view. There are successful people and not successful people in capitalist society- there are in consequence division and segregation- This situation created egocentric individuals in the first group and depression in the second group.

Answer 4

Obviously he distanced himself from it, considering his brothers, Harpo, Groucho and Chico. Yuck-yuck-yuck