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Originally Posted by KnifeMissile
Suppose someone slips you a drug as a practical joke. While you weren't looking, they snuck a drop of some psychotropic drug into your drink and then watch the hilarity ensue. Next thing you know, you just killed someone because you were defending yourself from a dangerous demon. Are you guilty? I mean, you did kill someone, after all. There's no denying that...
Another situation is if you were a waiter serving a drink in a restaurant. Some accident in the kitchen happened and a container of some beverage was accidentally poisoned. So, you serve a drink to a customer and they die as a result. Are you guilty of murder? You did kill someone, after all.
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In each of these examples, there exists a clearly identifiable resposible party. Who is responsible in the case of insanity? I'm sure you're not suggesting that insanity is typically the result of a mixup in the kitchen or a practical joke.
In fact it is the issue of responsibility that is central to the disposition of criminal cases involving defendants who may or may not be insane. And the question of who exactly is responsible - the crazy person him or herself? society? God or mother nature? the abusive stepfather? - that makes these discussions so interesting and the answers so subjective.