Iranian Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine

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Zotero  

Shahgoli A. Philosophical Challenge in Physicalistical Approach in Modern Medicine. IJMEHM 2018; 11 :253-265
URL: http://ijme.tums.ac.ir/article-1-6010-en.html

Science of medicine is affected by metaphysics and non-experimental foundation, although it proves its issues by experimental methods. Nowadays, lots of evidence confirm the effects of metaphysical assumptions in experimental sciences including medicine. These assumptions are not experimental but have serious impact on determining the methods, structures, and orientation of science. In comparison with other experimental sciences, medicine is more affected because it concerns with one of human dimensions; which means the body. Each medical school, desirable or nondesirable, has a special viewpoint about the human and when it studies the body, issues like existence of soul and divine aspect of the man has a particular standpoint that cause change the in some of medicine’s directions. Then, study the metaphysical foundations in medicine is necessary. From which, we concerned the anthropological basis in this study that include: 1.Positivistic approach to man 2.Biological concept of man 3. Neglect of human’s spirituality 4.Mechanical viewpoint 5.Partailism approach 6.A purely material view of death. This article, criticizes these approaches. In conclusion, modern medicine has defaced metaphysical foundations which must be revised. As these foundations have influenced medicine’s methods and directions, evaluation of the aforementioned influence on medicine seems necessary.