Indoctrination by Science
Written on August 25, 2026
Is it possible that in some circumstance, attempts to apply science to our personal problems can lead us astray?
It may be helpful in this post to remind the reader of 'the disease/illness model'. This differentiates between disease, which refers to measurable, pathological abnormalities in the body, and illness, which represents the patient's personal experience of symptoms and suffering. A similar distinction may be made for physical injury.
In earlier posts I have noted the belief that the recent surge in people being diagnosed with a mental disorder may be partly due to our becoming more aware of and knowledgeable about mental health problems and more ready to talk about them and to seek help (similarly with parents of children thus affected). So, the ways we understand and talk about our struggles with life, our fears, distress, despair and turmoil have changed and,
'The predominant story now ('the prevailing narrative') is that we are suffering because of some disorder of our mind or brain and we need to consult a professional who has the expertise to diagnose what this disorder is and administer the appropriate remedy. And if we don't, we will continue to suffer.'
I have suggested that this prevailing narrative or orthodoxy functions much like mass indoctrination, comparable to the religious indoctrination of earlier centuries in the UK and, even today, elsewhere. And just as the religious authorities, backed by the state, owed much of their considerable power to this mass indoctrination of the populace in their own orthodoxy, so too is now the case with the professional and academic establishments in medicine and related fields regarding psychological problems.
Why am I making so much of this? Because we should not underestimate how deeply our acceptance of the prevailing narrative shapes not only how we understand and explain our struggles, but how we experience them-how we feel, how we behave, and how we respond to the struggles of those who depend on us, notably children.
But why does this matter? Surely the doctrine promoted by professionals is grounded in solid scientific evidence? And surely the scientific method remains our most reliable means of understanding the world and solving the problems that confront us? Yes, yes, and yes! Science is one of humanity's greatest achievements, if not the greatest.
My focus here is the material world, including human beings. Nowhere has the power of the scientific method been more convincingly demonstrated than in medicine: identifying the causes of physical suffering and developing ways to prevent, relieve, and cure it. But science has struggled when it comes to understanding and explaining the lived experience of 'being a person'. This difficulty is especially evident in what we now refer to as 'mental health disorders and 'mental illnesses'.
If you ask for evidence, I refer you to earlier posts where I cited surveys documenting the dramatic rise in people-adults and children-being labelled with psychological disorders, with many judged too unwell even to earn a living or receive a normal education. Alongside this are lengthy waiting lists for diagnosis and treatment, and a huge increase in prescriptions for psychoactive medication. These trends are now of such magnitude as to be detrimental to the country's economic prospects.
All this, despite governments pouring ever more resources into mental health services. This is Failure. Failure with a capital F!
Failure. Yet the narrative remains unchanged: those who struggle with their mental state or behavioural dispositions do so because there is something wrong with them and it is the clinicians who are best qualified to diagnose and remedy whatever that may be.
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