Free World
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| + | "'''Free World'''" is a [[Cold War]]–era term often used by the U.S. and its allies to describe those countries that were not in the [[sphere of influence]] of, or allied with, [[communism|communist]] states, particularly the [[Soviet Union]] or the [[People's Republic of China]], but which showed a strong commitment to ideologies of [[liberalism]] and [[capitalism]]. It is often used interchangeably with "[[First World]]". | ||
| - | '''Thomas Stephen Szasz''' (April 15, 1920 – September 8, 2012) was a [[psychiatrist]] and [[academic]]. Since 1990 he had been [[professor emeritus]] of [[psychiatry]] at the [[State University of New York Upstate Medical University]] in [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]]. He was a well-known social critic of the moral and scientific foundations of psychiatry, and of the [[social control]] aims of medicine in modern society, as well as of [[scientism]]. His books ''[[The Myth of Mental Illness]]'' (1960) and ''The Manufacture of Madness'' (1970) set out some of the arguments with which he is most associated. | + | The term usually refers to countries such as the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], [[West Germany]], and organizations such as the [[European Union]] and [[NATO]]. In addition, the "Free World" occasionally includes the [[Commonwealth realms]], [[Japan]], [[Israel]], and [[India]]. |
| - | Szasz argued that mental illnesses are not real in the sense that cancers are real. Except for a few identifiable brain diseases, such as [[Alzheimer's disease]], there are “neither biological or chemical tests nor biopsy or necropsy findings for verifying or [[Falsifiability|falsifying]] ''[[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders|DSM]]'' diagnoses", i.e. there are no objective methods for detecting the presence or absence of mental illness. | + | [[Authoritarian]] and [[dictator]]ial states were also included in the "Free World", provided that they were either [[capitalistic]] or [[anti-communist]]. Notable examples include [[Spain]] under [[Francisco Franco]], [[South Africa under apartheid|apartheid-era South Africa]], and [[Greek military junta of 1967–1974|Greece under the military junta]] of the late 1960s and early 1970s. |
| - | His views on special treatment followed from [[Civil libertarianism|libertarian]] roots which are based on the principles that each person has the right to [[Bodily integrity|bodily]] and mental [[self-ownership]] and the right to be free from violence from others, although he criticized the "[[Free World]]" as well as the [[communist state]]s for their use of psychiatry. He believed that [[Suicide legislation|suicide]], the [[practice of medicine]], the use and sale of drugs and sexual relations should be private, [[contract]]ual, and legal. | + | ==See also== |
| - | + | *[[Free country (politics)]] | |
| - | In 1973 the [[American Humanist Association]] named him Humanist of the Year, and in 1979 he was honored with an honorary doctorate in [[behavioral science]] at [[Universidad Francisco Marroquín]]. | + | *[[Western World]] |
| + | *[[Western Bloc]] | ||
| + | *[[First World]] | ||
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Revision as of 15:38, 26 December 2013
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"Free World" is a Cold War–era term often used by the U.S. and its allies to describe those countries that were not in the sphere of influence of, or allied with, communist states, particularly the Soviet Union or the People's Republic of China, but which showed a strong commitment to ideologies of liberalism and capitalism. It is often used interchangeably with "First World".
The term usually refers to countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, and organizations such as the European Union and NATO. In addition, the "Free World" occasionally includes the Commonwealth realms, Japan, Israel, and India.
Authoritarian and dictatorial states were also included in the "Free World", provided that they were either capitalistic or anti-communist. Notable examples include Spain under Francisco Franco, apartheid-era South Africa, and Greece under the military junta of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
See also
