Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1999 14:25:29 +0000 (BST)
From: John Appleby <pyrew-AT-csv.warwick.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: New Year, Same Old Crap


I asked:
> << Two people undergo the same experience but describe it totally
>  differently, eg 'vision of angels'/'alien visitation'. Are you going to 
>  believe them both?  >>

To which you replied: 
> Absolutely, and I am going to listen to the nature of the experiences they
> had, and possibly discover their openness to other modelizations. Their
> ideological rigidity -- their need for purity, perfectionism, etc. -- may
> interfere with open dialogue, but is an entirely different matter than the
> validity of the experience itself.

Alright, lets push this a bit further:

Two people examine a third individual who acts 'eccentrically'. One says
that this person is a schizo out for a stroll and so should be celebrated
and left to her own devices, the other agrees with the definition but
claims that she is a danger to herself and so should be institutionalized
as there is a high risk that otherwise she will walk under a car or
something. Are you still going to say that they are both right? Please
don't go into your 'institutionalized psychiatry' diatribe, as this is not
the issue here; The issue is how can you tell what is the most positive
ethical act under the circumstances when you think that everyone's
interpretation of experience is equally valid?

Regards

John