On October 30, 1977, in Rockville Center, New York, two internationally known authorities debated the subject of mental illness. Dr. Thomas Szasz held the position that mental illness is, by definition, a metaphor, while Dr. Albert Ellis claimed that it is a fact. The debate is important because it examines issues at the heart of the politics of involuntary mental hospitalization, and the basic civil rights of all citizens. The components of the system of involuntary mental hospitalization are …