What role should psychologists play in attempting to solve social problems? Where does being a psychologist end and being an activist begin? Is there in fact a dichotomy between professional and political roles? This essay will attempt to show that, at least in the mental health professions, it may be impossible to differentiate professional from political functions. Further, the author will attempt to show that since its inception, and despite the explicit liberalism of many of its practitioners, clinical psychology has been committed to a political perspective that has consistently led it away from a productive involvement in social change.