Unit name | The Philosophy and History of Medicine |
---|---|
Unit code | PHIL30082 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Professor. Carel |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Department of Philosophy |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The aim of this unit is to introduce some key elements of the philosophy of medicine in their historical context. If you get ill, you are very lucky you live now rather than 200 years ago, when simple infections would often prove fatal, surgery was carried out without pain relief, and almost all illnesses were treated with blood-letting and medicines based on the poisons mercury and antimony. It might appear that current medicine magnificently demonstrates the triumph of applied science. But the truth of this claim is in fact far from obvious. This unit examines some of the philosophical questions arising from the history of the making of modern medicine, from the new hospitals of the French Revolution, through the so-called laboratory revolution of the late-nineteenth century and the golden era of twentieth century medicine to the AIDS pandemic and the growth of the alternative medicine movement.
Questions addressed include:
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to demonstrate:
Lectures, small group work, individual exercises, seminars and virtual learning environment.
Summative: 4,500 word essay - 100% (ILOs 1-3)
The following books are strongly recommended background reading to the history of medicine and the historiography of medicine: ASS= Arts and Social Science Library. MED= Medical Library (down University Walk)
Porter, R. (1999) The Greatest Benefit to Mankind (Fontana) (ISBN: 0006374549). ASS (R131 POR), MED. Burnham, J. C. (2005) What is Medical History? (Cambridge: Polity) (978-0745632254).
Also recommended (and a very good read) but controversial is:
David Wootton (2007) Bad Medicine: Doctors Doing Harm Since Hippocrates (Oxford: Oxford University Press)
The best book on philosophy of medicine is:
Jeremy Howick (2011) The Philosophy of Evidence-Based Medicine (Oxford: Wiley–Blackwell)
An interesting, if contentious, introduction to some topics in medical epistemology is:
Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch (2005) Dr. Golem: How to Think about Medicine (London: University of Chicago Press). A useful introduction to key themes in the epistemology of medicine. (ISBN: 0226113663) ASS (RC81 COL ) MED (AA8a COL).