Keywords
Mad studies; lived experience; epistemic injustice; standpoint theory
Abstract
The intent of this thesis is to examine the potential epistemic advantage possessed by those with lived experience of mental illness. The frequent lack of conceptual alignment between the perspectives of individuals with lived experience and the biomedical model of mental illness has often resulted in epistemic injustice—lived experiential knowledge tends to be devalued and excluded from larger discussions about mental health. I propose that by occupying a marginalized social location and critically engaging with one’s social position, psychopathologized individuals may achieve a standpoint that allows a deeper comprehension of the systems of power that affect the mental health care system, illuminates the nature of mental illness and its phenomenological qualities, and results in an advantage in identifying promising methods of alleviating mental distress. I evaluate and respond to several objections to this proposal, including physician paternalism and concerns about lived experiential knowledge compromising the scientific objectivity of the mental health care fields. I conclude that those with lived experience of mental illness who have critically engaged with their madness—such as those involved in Mad Studies, peer support, or other forms of advocacy—can make invaluable contributions to the field of mental health, and it is both ethically and epistemically necessary that we meaningfully integrate these contributions.
Thesis Completion Year
2024
Thesis Completion Semester
Fall
Thesis Chair
Cash, Mason
College
College of Arts and Humanities
Department
Philosophy
Thesis Discipline
Philosophy
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
Subjects
Mental illness--Philosophy; Mental health--Philosophy; Psychiatry--Philosophy; Mental illness--Social aspects--History; Antipsychiatry--Social aspects
STARS Citation
Kazmier, Aven E., "Madness As Epistemic Advantage: The Relevance Of Standpoint Epistemology To The Evolution Of Mental Health Care" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 171.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/171
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