Can I use Solipsism to reduce a murder charge to manslaugher?

Question

Does Solipsism Syndrome pass as a mental illness in court?

Ms Secretly in ♥ w/N…: no I don't have a murder charge against me and I also am not planning to murder anyone. I don't agree with the death penalty at all either.

But that is irrelevant. You didn't answer my question.

Answer 1

No, because under the DSM criteria it does not cause a sufficient cognitive dysfunction that you were unable to evaluate your actions.... you were fully aware that you were killing someone -- you just thought they were imaginary

This is especially true if it's a chronic condition, or if your level of self-awareness lets you know you're solipsistic -- because then you are aware that all other people are imaginary and the law protects them anyway

It it's an acute and sudden condition, then it might count as sufficiently delusional that you could not distinguish between what the non-person that society consider real and the non-person that society considers a daydream -- and that would count

Answer 2

Only you could answer that question.

Look, if you believe you are the centre of the universe and that you can only be sure of your own existence, then the only advice you can receive that has any value is your own. Indeed, if you think about it, if you believed you were on a murder charge, then as a solipsist, for that belief to be true, you would have to be charging yourself. You would also have to be your own judge, jury, prosecutor and defender too.

In those circumstances, I think you can pretty much do as you choose.

In fact, as a solipsist, if you believe this answer to have any merit, then it must mean that I am you talking to you/me/myself.

If it doesn't have any merit, then again as a solipsist, it means you are bonkers because you are reading/hearing voices.

Or, it means you are not a solipsist. So no you can't.

Answer 3

It's not a recognised mental illness more of a philosophy or life choice, you could try to use it but you will fail it would the same as using ego as a defence!

Answer 4

Do you have a murder charge against you? If you do, and you did murder someone, you need the needle in the arm.

Answer 5

It's a philisophical point of view, and is not a mental illness. if you are going to kill someone, please refer to the McNaughton rules beforehand please.