More Aristotle and less Concerta. The four causes of ADHD

Más Aristóteles y menos Concerta. Las cuatro causas del TDAH is a Spanish-language essay by psychologist and academic Marino Pérez Álvarez that questions how ADHD (TDAH) has become a dominant clinical and cultural explanation for attention and behavior problems. The book’s central claim is not presented as a self-help guide, but as a critical, meta-scientific investigation: it argues that the idea of ADHD as a stable clinical entity is far less solid than many people assume, and asks why belief in its “evidence” remains so widespread. Instead of reducing the topic to individual brain chemistry or a single cause, Pérez Álvarez proposes a broader framework—“four causes”—to examine how multiple forces converge to produce the ADHD narrative. In this approach, the focus shifts to how research traditions can reinforce their own assumptions, how social and educational environments shape expectations of children and adults, and how treatment cultures (including medication-centered solutions, such as methylphenidate brands like Concerta) influence what society labels as a disorder. 

The tone is argumentative and analytical: the author invites readers to reassess common stories about attention, productivity, and “normal” behavior, and to consider older philosophical lenses (hinted by “Aristotle” in the title) for thinking about human conduct, purpose, and context. This makes the book particularly relevant for readers interested in psychology, philosophy of science, mental-health debates, education, and contemporary cultural criticism.