Care and Cure: An Introduction to Philosophy of Medicine

The philosophy of medicine has become a vibrant and complex intellectual landscape, and the Care and Cure is the first extended attempt to map it. In pursuing the interdependent goals of care and treatment, medicine relies on concepts, theories, conclusions and policies that are often complex and controversial. Bringing much-needed clarity to the interplay of these diverse concerns, Jacob Stegenga describes the fundamental philosophical controversies underlying medicine in this unparalleled introduction to the field. Fourteen chapters in Care and Cure presents and discusses the conceptual, metaphysical, epistemological and political questions that arise in medicine, supported by vivid illustrative examples ranging from debates about the true nature of disease to the efficacy of medical interventions and homeopathy. This concise introduction will be an indispensable resource for students and researchers in medicine and philosophy.