The possession of nuclear weapons likened to a mental illness

Two recently published articles have likened the possession and development of nuclear weapons to mental illness. Neil Arya, a family physician and Lecturer in Peace through Health at Mcmaster University, has likened it to alcohol addiction (1), and Hanna Segal to schizophrenia (2).

The following essay is in essence a précis of Hanna Segal’s paper. I have found her paper useful in helping me to understand why destructive Western actions continue despite mounting evidence of adverse consequences, and to allow myself to gather momentum and focus for opposing some of them. I have also included examples from anthropology and linguistics with the hope that readers may more easily grasp my concise version of Segal’s paper.