The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg Pleading Insanity | Interview: Emmett Rensin
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Aug 20, 2025 Emmett Rensin, author of The Complications: On Going Insane in America and a voice for mental health advocacy, joins for an insightful dialogue. They delve into the history and complexities of the insanity defense, sharing personal experiences with schizoaffective disorder. The conversation highlights societal neglect of mental health, the challenges of identity politics, and the delicate balance between civil liberties and public safety. They also explore the phenomenon of auditory hallucinations and the intersection of mental illness with conspiracy theories, encouraging a deeper understanding and care.
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Insanity Defense Is Ancient And Misunderstood
- The insanity defense has ancient roots and reflects a long-standing moral intuition that severe mental illness reduces culpability.
- Public misconceptions about how it works hide deeper unanswered questions about responsibility and care.
Facts Don't Fix The Moral Puzzle
- Correcting public facts about the insanity defense won't solve the moral problem of serious madness.
- We still lack a durable moral and practical response for those whose minds make them unresponsive to reason.
Author’s Personal Diagnosis And Language Views
- Emmett shares his DSM diagnosis: schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, and notes psychosis plus mood disturbance.
- He prefers older terms like 'manic depressive' and argues that lived experience grants leeway in language choices.
