PHIL 210 Philosophy of Medicine (Not offered 2006-2007; to be offered 2007-2008)
The aim of the course is to analyze and discuss philosophical questions about the
nature, domain, methods and social role of medicine, thereby generating some
understanding of both the nature of philosophical thinking and of medical practices. Some of the questions we will focus on include: What is medicine? What
are its goals? What is the nature of medical explanation? How are the concepts
of "health" and "disease" to be defined? What is medical reductionism and what
are its limits? Are there metaphysical and ideological assumptions in contemporary Western medical theory and if so, should they be avoided? Can we avoid
them, and if so, how? Some of the specific topics we will focus on in discussing
these general questions include: psychiatry as a branch of medicine, overmedicalization of everyday life, the conceptualization of the human body, gender bias
in medical research and practice, medical explanations of human sexuality and
gender, the rise of medical authority, and iatrogenesis.
Requirements: four short papers and a larger (6-8 pages) final paper.
No prerequisites.