Dr. Thomas Szasz (April 15, 1920 – September 8, 2012) was a giant in both the field of psychiatry and in the movement for the liberation of the individual from all unwarranted coercion. Always unafraid to confront conventional wisdom with the truth as he saw it, he struck at the heart of the use of psychiatry (and medicine generally) to further the State’s control over the individual. His work forced even those who disagreed profoundly to address the issues of individual responsibility (for both patient and physician) and the individual’s relationship to the State in ways the medical community had not addressed for decades, if at all. The pages of The Freeman, published by the Foundation for Economic Education since the 1950s, contain many of his best commentary on the flaws in his own profession and how its errors and excesses often pose threats to liberty. He should be remembered as a champion of individual liberty and responsibility, and honesty in all professions. His intellectual rigor, honesty, and personal integrity serve as a towering example for all who continue to struggle for the liberation of the person from the State.
