Philosophy of medicine poses two fundamental questions about medicine: what is it and what should we think about it? Philosophy of medicine has itself developed in response to developments in the philosophy of science, particularly in relation to epistemology, enabling it to make medically useful contributions. This book places these developments in a broader perspective, suggesting that much philosophical thinking about medicine contributes to answering one or both of these two guiding questions. Summarising the philosophy of medicine's current place in the landscape and its potential to illuminate a wide range of fields, from public health to politics, Alex Broadbent presents various key issues in the philosophy of medicine. The first part of the book argues for a novel view of the nature of medicine, arguing that medicine should be understood as a research nature and causes of health and disease.
The second part of the book explores how we should consider medicine. Contemporary approaches such as evidence-based medicine and medical nihilism tend to respond by setting high standards of evidence. Broadbent rejects these approaches in favour of medical cosmopolitanism, or a rejection of epistemic relativism and pluralism in medicine that encourages conversation between medical traditions. From this point of view, Broadbent paves the way for the adoption of alternative medicine.
Review
The first thing you'll love about this book is what you can learn from it: what medicine can do even if it can't cure much, what evidence-based medicine may or may not have achieved, the role of common law and the importance of cosmopolitanism, the dangers of epistemic medical relativism, the value-free definition of 'health' and much more. Secondly, he practices what he preaches. The epistemic humility and practice-centred cosmopolitanism that Broadbent advocates for medicine characterise his own arguments and explanations. The book is thoughtful and humane, informed both philosophically and practically. "- Nancy Cartwright, professor of philosophy at Durham University and distinguished professor at the University of California, San Diego