“Addicts, Mythmakers and Philosophers”

            In the article “Addicts, Mythmakers and Philosophers”, one of the main arguments is that addiction is a type of disorder and that it is not just “misinformed choice”. I agree that, addiction is often misunderstood. Reading this article helped me better understand addiction (Graff 2).

            One of the stronger claims portray addictions as more than just a “bunch of weak-willed acts”. In other words, often times, society categorizes people suffering from addictions into unstable subgroups (Graff 135). These victims are handicapped by more than “just a condition”, they live with a disease.  

            Another point argued in the article referred to the fact that addicts do not realize their obsessions.  Because they do not see their dependence, it makes it that much more difficult to quit. Sometimes, the article explains, it takes some “craziness” or “danger” for the addict to understand how out of control the issue is. The reality of the matter is that these addictions are taking over and it is not by choice.

            On the other hand, the article also demonstrates that while addictions are not choices, they still alter the addict’s life (Graff 2). It was mentioned that the problem often becomes unmanageable. This is supported by the idea that “addiction undermines the person’s self regulation.” Through this it is seen that while the article fosters foundation for addiction support, it also recognizes that a problem does exist. The article is stating that addictions are problematic, but they are also not controllable.

            My conclusion, then, is that, the articles offers arguments in support of the theory that addictions are disorders.(Graff 136). Brody provides the evidence needed to demonstrate that an addiction is an illness. These problems are more than just a choice, and the people suffering from the disorder need continued support.

Brody, Alan. "Addicts, Mythmakers and Philosophers." Philosophy Now.

Philosophy Now, 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <https://philosophynow.org/issues/90/Addicts_Mythmakers_and_Philosophers>.

Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. They Say / I Say. 3rd ed. New York:

W.W. Norton, 2015. Print.