DSM-III and the politics of truth.

Abstract

Attacks upon and defenses of DSM-III continue to be a popular topic for professional journals. This article argues that traditional and prevalent beliefs about the relationship between science and politics cause many communications about DSM-III to become mired in double-talk, in which disavowal of DSM-III's political aspects often serves to affirm that which is being denied. We look at DSM-III through a conceptual lens in which science and politics are mutually exclusive. Consequently, any mention of the political dimensions of DSM-III may be automatically perceived as an attack upon the scientific integrity of the taxonomy. Integral aspects of science and politics should be acknowledged, and self-defeating dichotomous reasoning about DSM-III's scientific and political dimensions should be avoided.