Health, Disease, and Illness: Concepts in Medicine [Broché]

Historically one can see that health, disease, and illness are concepts that have been ever fluid. Modern science, sociology, philosophy, even society--among other factors--constantly have these issues under microscopes, learning more, defining and redefining ever more exactly. Yet often that scrutiny, instead of leading toward hard answers, only leads to more questions. HEALTH, DISEASE, AND ILLNESS brings together a sterling list of classic and contemporary thinkers to examine the history, state, and future of ever-changing "concepts" in medicine.

Divided into four parts--Historical Discussions; Characterizing Health, Disease, and Illness; Clinical Applications of Health and Disease; and Normalcy, Genetic Disease, and Enhancement: The Future of the Concepts of Health and Disease--the reader can see the evolutionary arc of medical concepts from the Greek physician Galen of Pergamum (ca. 150 CE) who proposed that "the best doctor is also a philosopher," to contemporary discussions of the genome and morality. The editors have recognized a crucial need for a deeper integration of medicine and philosophy with each other, particularly in an age of dynamically changing medical science--and what it means, medically, philosophically, to be human.

"The articles in this collection present remarkably lucid, well-reasoned discussions of the issues at the junction of philosophy and medicine. An excellent overview of the history of medicine’s central concepts (including health and disease) is put into fascinating perspective through significant discussions of how current developments in genetics and theories in biomedicine are changing both the face of medicine and its interface with philosophy. A very valuable collection that should be read by everyone involved in bioethics, the medical humanities and philosophy of medicine." --Richard M. Zaner, Ann Geddes Stahlman Professor Emeritus of Medical Ethics & Philosophy of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and author of CONVERSATIONS ON THE EDGE: NARRATIVES OF ETHICS AND ILLNESS

"This is an important, provocative collection about health and disease. It is the most comprehensive collection of its kind, bringing together in one volume historical works by figures such as Maimonides, late 20th century philosophical works by figures such as Boorse, sociological essays about contemporary diagnoses such as the chronic fatigue syndrome, and recent essays exploring the impact of the new genetics on our conceptions of health and disease. It will make an excellent resource in the philosophy of medicine and wonderful reading for anyone interested in the relationship between the philosophy of medicine and medical ethics. I hope that its publication will spark a renewed interest in the philosophy of medicine among those who can see that this is the direction bioethics must take to meet the challenges of the 21st century." --Daniel P. Sulmasy, O.F.M., M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of the Bioethics Institute, New York Medical College