This is a review of the literature in the philosophy of medicine published in China from 1930 to 1980. The topics dealt with include the relationship between medicine and philosophy, the basic concepts of medicine, etiology and causality, the bearing of psychology on physiology and pathology, epistemology in diagnostics, methodology of medical sciences, philosophical and methological problems in traditional Chinese medicine, philosophical problems in health policy, and medical ethics.

This extended essay seeks to unpack some of the key aspects of philosophy which are applicable to medical thought and practice. It proceeds via an analytical discussion of the contemporary debate in three key areas of medical ethics: euthanasia, concepts of health & disease and psychiatry. The main claims are as follows: 1. The case for legalising euthanasia is strong on philosophical grounds but there are numerous practical obstacles. 2. Elements from the normative and naturalistic definitions of disease are necessary (...) for a thorough definition that dodges common objections to either. 3. Mental health cannot be subsumed under a purely physicalist model of health rendering it distinctly different from other fields in Medicine. The case for legalising euthanasia is strong on philosophical grounds but there are numerous practical obstacles. Elements from the normative and naturalistic definitions of disease are necessary for a thorough definition that dodges common objections to either. Mental health cannot be subsumed under a purely physicalist model of health rendering it distinctly different from other fields in Medicine. Through a detailed discussion of three salient issues in the philosophy of medicine, it is argued that the application of profound philosophical thought to medicine and its practices reveals a depth that necessitates exploration before simply following the aims of curing all. Philosophical rigour matched with modern medicine has the potential to engage patients and help them make independent, informed decisions and assist physicians to think more clearly, analytically and empathetically. (shrink)

This extended essay seeks to unpack some of the key aspects of philosophy which are applicable to medical thought and practice. It proceeds via an analytical discussion of the contemporary debate in three key areas of medical ethics: euthanasia, concepts of health & disease and psychiatry.The main claims are as follows:1.The case for legalising euthanasia is strong on philosophical grounds but there are numerous practical obstacles.2.Elements from the normative and naturalistic definitions of disease are necessary for a thorough definition that (...) dodges common objections to either.3.Mental health cannot be subsumed under a purely physicalist model of health rendering it distinctly different from other fields in Medicine.Through a detailed discussion of three salient issues in the philosophy of medicine, it is argued that the application of profound philosophical thought to medicine and its practices reveals a depth that necessitates exploration before simply following the aims of curing all. Philosophical rigour matched with modern medicine has the potential to engage patients and help them make independent, informed decisions and assist physicians to think more clearly, analytically and empathetically. (shrink)

Friedrich Nietzsche se ha convertido en uno de los exponentes más influyentes y conocidos de la filosofía. Y si bien muchos de sus conceptos fundamentales son cada vez mejor comprendidos y comentados, el mundo hispanohablante conoce menos de su filosofía terapéutica. Así, este artículo tiene por objetivo contribuir a enriquecer la lista de trabajos que han permitido redescubrir a Nietzsche no solo como un filósofo del ars vivendi, sino muy particularmente como filosofo de la medicina. En especial me detendré a (...) interpretar algunos de los planteamientos más fructíferos en su pensar para debates contemporáneos en filosofía de la medicina. (shrink)

After describing the disorder of psychopathy, I examine the theories and the evidence concerning the psychopaths’ deficient moral capacities. I first examine whether or not psychopaths can pass tests of moral knowledge. Most of the evidence suggests that they can. If there is a lack of moral understanding, then it has to be due to an incapacity that affects not their declarative knowledge of moral norms, but their deeper understanding of them. I then examine two suggestions: it is their deficient (...) practical reason or their stunted emotions that are at fault. The evidence supports both explanations. I conclude with an overview of the debate concerning whether they are morally or legally responsible for their actions. (shrink)