--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If, nevertheless, textbooks of…" description: "\"If, nevertheless, textbooks of pharmacology legitimately contain a chapter on drug abuse and drug addiction, then, by the same token, textbooks of gyne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/thomas-szasz-3801_abuse_if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacolog_1176868.jpg" --- # If, nevertheless, textbooks of pharmacology legitimately… ![“If, nevertheless, textbooks of pharmacology legitimately contain a chapter on drug abuse and drug addiction, then, by the same token, textbooks of gynecology and urology should contain a chapter on prostitution; textbooks of physiology, a chapter on perversion; textbooks of genetics, a chapter on…” quote by Thomas Szasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/thomas-szasz-3801_abuse_if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacolog_1176868.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/thomas-szasz-3801_abuse_if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacolog_1176868.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/thomas-szasz-3801_abuse_if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacolog_1176868.jpg) > “If, nevertheless, textbooks of pharmacology legitimately contain a chapter on drug abuse and drug addiction, then, by the same token, textbooks of gynecology and urology should contain a chapter on prostitution; textbooks of physiology, a chapter on perversion; textbooks of genetics, a chapter on the racial inferiority of Jews and Negroes.” [Thomas Szasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-szasz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that scientific texts often embed moral judgments, suggesting that any field could justify prejudice by labeling social issues as scientific facts. **In simple terms:** Science can be misused to legitimize bias. Key Takeaway Question assumptions behind so claims. Themes ethics science prejudice authority bias Mood critical skeptical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - medical education - policy making - public discourse - curriculum design Key Concepts social construction medicalization racism sexism Questions to Reflect On - How do we separate empirical facts from moral judgments? - What safeguards can protect curricula from bias? A Different Perspective He does not address how to prevent such misuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drug abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-abuse/) [Drug addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-addiction/) [Genetics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetics/) [Inferiority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inferiority/) [Jew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jew/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Perversion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perversion/) [Pharmacology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pharmacology/) [Physiology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physiology/) [Prostitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prostitution/) ## Related quotes > [“Filming a scene, there are countless takes of the same incident. Someone watching in the street - obviously a provincial - can't get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-m-cioran/filming-a-scene-there-are-countless-takes-of-the-same-incident/) [Emil M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-m-cioran/) > [I had to educate myself about female circumcision, about the clitoris, about sexology. We studied gynecology only. Pregnancy, maternal care, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/i-had-to-educate-myself-about-female-circumcision-about-the-clitoris/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [You know, gynecology has a role; sex is a gift. 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I don't want to be an amateur gynecologist anymore!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles-channeling-tooter-the-turtle/help-me-mr-wizard-i-don-t-want-to-be-an-amateur-gynecologist-anymore/) Rock Cowles Channeling Tooter The Turtle > [“I realize that I’m far less familiar with my own privates than with Guy’s, and I’ve seen his only twice! I guess that’s to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daria-snadowsky/i-realize-that-i-m-far-less-familiar-with-my-own-privates-than-with/) [Daria Snadowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daria-snadowsky/) > [It doesn't take much to produce a good merchant of cash-and-carry love: just courage, an infinite capacity for perpetual suspicion, stamina on a 24-hour-a-day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-stanford/it-doesn-t-take-much-to-produce-a-good-merchant-of-cash-and-carry/) [Sally Stanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-stanford/) ## More by Thomas Szasz > [Institutional psychiatry is a continuation of the Inquisition. 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Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If, nevertheless, textbooks of pharmacology legitimately contain a chapter on drug abuse and drug addiction, then, by the same token, textbooks of gynecology and urology should contain a chapter on prostitution; textbooks of physiology, a chapter on perversion; textbooks of genetics, a chapter on the racial inferiority of Jews and Negroes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Szasz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-szasz/if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacology-legitimately-contain-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-szasz/if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacology-legitimately-contain-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/thomas-szasz-3801_abuse_if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacolog_1176868.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/thomas-szasz-3801_abuse_if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacolog_1176868.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25c/thomas-szasz-3801_abuse_if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacolog_1176868.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If, nevertheless, textbooks of pharmacology legitimately contain a chapter on drug abuse and drug addiction…” — Thomas Szasz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Szasz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-szasz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If, nevertheless, textbooks of pharmacology legitimately...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-szasz/if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacology-legitimately-contain-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-szasz/if-nevertheless-textbooks-of-pharmacology-legitimately-contain-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```