Surprisingly, modern medicine has no distinctive philosophy!

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If you do not know what you are searching for, You will never find it! Investing in the philosophy of medicine will yield exceptional benefits.

Integrated Philosophy of Medicine.

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, you will also suffer a defeat for every victory gained. You will succumb in every battle if you know neither the enemy nor yourself." (Sun Tzu) 

Sun Tzu was a Chinese politician and general. Considered the strategic founder of the art of war.

Is there a unified philosophy of medical science today? The answer is "No." Modern medicine has extensive literature, procedures, methods, and practices, but these cannot be considered a philosophy of medicine! The finding that modern conventional medicine has no independent philosophy surprised me! 

Medicine has advanced miraculously at the technological level. Still, the failures (which are not often discussed) in chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancer, mental disorders, addictions, and more can be directly attributed to the lack of an independent philosophy of medical sciences.

 

Introduction and Prolog.

The philosophy of medicine has a deeper meaning than it seems, of a "compass" and the borders of what is possible and reasonable.

Links: Does the philosophy of medicine exist? (Theoretical medicine) | Philosophy of medicine (Wikipedia)

  • Medical science has many methodologies, therapeutic protocols, extensive literature, innovative technologies, procedures, principles, and guidelines, but this is not philosophy! I believe the lack of philosophy explains modern medicine's (hidden) failures.
  • Paradoxically, traditional Chinese and Indian medicine thousands of years ago, with no knowledge of anatomy, physiology, or chemistry, developed medical philosophy, parts of which are still helpful today. They are outdated and do not qualify as standard medicine in the 21st century. But at the level of philosophical thinking and balance between body, mind & spirit, they were very advanced for their time.

Is it desirable that the philosophy of medicine be a sub-branch of philosophy (as it is today) or a sub-branch of medicine?

  • Seemingly this is a semantic question, but the determination has great significance. It dictates to those involved in the field. Search the rest of the sciences. Indeed, several surprising discoveries in areas related to philosophy, such as the theory of mathematical incompleteness, developed by Kurt Godel, and whether we live in a simulation by Nick Bostrom, were created by philosophers but with mathematical tools! In most cases, those who practice philosophy do not have enough knowledge of the sciences to engage in the philosophy of medicine.

 

The SWOT analysis points to a mirror image between Modern Medicine and Self-Healing (Alternative-functional) Medicine's weaknesses and strengths.

Thus the integration between both is requested.

Link: Conventional Modern Medicine vs. Self-Healing (Alternative-Functional) Medicine SWOT analysis.

Is there a need for a unified philosophy of medical science? The answer is definitely "YES." The medical field in the 21 century is a war zone dictated by modern lifestyle. Would the human race allow itself to enter a brutal war without a strategy? I guess not!

  • The confusion between symptoms, causes, and catalysts, which leads to fighting the symptoms, is, in my opinion, part of this trend," medical philosophy is a field for philosophers." (Symptomatic treatments cannot cure the patient, as they do not eliminate the causes of the disease.)

Advanced biochemistry and other technological instruments do not necessarily reveal all the secrets of the body, mind & spirit. To know the correct answers, we must understand what we are searching for; in other words, it is - PHILOSOPHY. 

 

All exact sciences have a philosophy, usually supported by mathematical formulas.

Medicine combines life sciences and exact sciences but has no independent philosophy!

  • If you search (Kurt Gudel or Alan Turing), you will find that even mathematics and computer science have a philosophy. Physics and chemistry have well-founded theories and profound philosophical questions, often unanswered.
  • The best-known formula in the world is probably energy equal to mass, double the speed of light squared. As early as 1905, Albert Einstein established the connection between energy and mass. (Material) The most recent theories of modern physics (string theory) show a direct relationship between matter and energy. Only medicine still insists on a mechanistic conception of the human body!
  • Paradoxically, Chinese and Indian medicine, with no knowledge of anatomy, physiology, or chemistry, developed medical philosophy thousands of years ago, some of which are still helpful today. They are outdated and do not qualify as standard medicine in the 21st century. But at the level of philosophical thinking and balance between body, mind & soul, they were very advanced for their time.

Medicine is integrated into many fields, so the philosophical questions it raises are many and more profound.

 

Some illustrations of topics that the philosophy of medicine may deal with.

My examples may seem banal, but they are critical to understanding future medicine. (Many other diverse philosophical issues can be raised)

Is it possible to translate all human activity into mathematical formulas, including emotions and thoughts? (Far-reaching implications)

The connection between Body, Mind & Spirit.

  • Is the body just a physical entity or also a physical-energetic combination? There is a duality between matter and energy in the science of physics. Is it also valid for medical science?
  • What is the connection between body, mind, and spirit, how does it work, and how is it manifested?
  • What is the explanation of the placebo effect?

Does the body occasionally act randomly? (Immense implications) 

  • Is it possible to describe the body's physiology using mathematical models?
  • Does Nash equilibrium exist in the human body?

Invasive medicine philosophy.

Can one expect a unified and uniform explanation of all identities and sexual orientations?

What will the medicine of the future look like? Is it a combination of drugs and advanced invasive procedures?

Why is it critical to distinguish between the symptoms, causes of the disease, the catalysts, and the illness triggers?

  • Can a symptomatic treatment be effective, and under what conditions should chronic diseases be treated?
  • What is the definition of physical pain? Is it only related to endurance or involves other objective metrics?

Is there a common denominator for all types of addictions?

  • Are addictions just biochemical phenomena, or do they have other hidden dimensions?

What is inflammation?

  • Why chronic morbidity often outbreaks around the '50s
  • Does sweating have more underlying functions beyond body cooling?
  • Infection vs. Inflammation. Is there a difference?
  • What are the four types of fatigue?

 

Summary and Conclusions.

Is there a unified philosophy of modern medical science today? Surprisingly, the answer is "No."

  • Medicine has extensive professional literature, history documentation, many methods, treatment protocols, and advanced technologies, but these are not a philosophy but, at best, just a tactic.
  • Is there a need for a unified philosophy of medical science? The answer is definitely "yes."
  • The medical field in the 21 century is a war zone dictated by modern lifestyle. Would the human race allow itself to enter a problematic war without a strategy? I guess not!

The philosophy of medicine must be a sub-branch of treatment, not philosophy as today. The philosophy of medicine must integrate conventional medicine with medicine for self-healing.

 

The lack of a modern medicine philosophy is the primary reason for the consistent failures in curing chronic diseases and cancer.

 

Frequently asked questions and answers:
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." (Sun Tzu)
Sun Tzu is traditionally considered the author of The Art of War. "If you know yourself but not the enemy, you will also suffer a defeat for every victory gained. You will succumb in every battle if you know neither the enemy nor yourself."
Medicine has extensive literature, methodologies, surgical procedures, and professional ethics. Aren't these philosophies?
These are all applications of medicine; they are essential but are supposed to reflect a directive philosophy! In the absence of philosophy, there are failures for the most part!
What can insights be learned from Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Traditional Chinese medicine sees humans as both an energetic and physical dual entity. Doctors make extensive use of herbs and try not to use prescription drugs. (even though they are available) when I had symptoms and a fever, my doctor explained that it is a natural mechanism of the body and that it is better not to take antipyretic pills that only get in the way!
Do the exact sciences and life sciences have a philosophy?
There are not only formulas but also directed philosophy for the exact sciences. Even mathematics has a philosophy (see the incompleteness value formulated by Kurt Goodell) for the life sciences; some formulas derive from the chemistry of processes. Medicine does not have its distinctive philosophy but a general scientific conception.
Do traditional Chinese and Indian medicine (Ayurveda) reflect philosophy?
Without being an expert in any of them, the answer is - YES. Without anatomical and physiological knowledge, traditional Chinese and Indian medicine turned to energy balance and peace of mind. Terms like yin-yang, chakras, and meridians reflect a progressive worldview concerning their time.
Should the philosophy of medicine be a branch of philosophy or medicine?
The prevailing view today is that the philosophy of medicine is a sub-branch of philosophy! If you look in the context of life sciences and exact sciences, this is not the case. Philosophers do not have adequate knowledge of the life sciences and the complex human body to formulate a profound philosophy. Doctors must write the philosophy of medicine as a sub-branch of medicine.
Challenge Yourself, Your Knowledge and Intuition:
Test your self
Surprisingly, modern medicine has no distinctive philosophy!
1. Why is there a need for a philosophy of medicine?
The human body is in a war for survival in the face of many threats, so it is imperative to set a compass to guide medical professionals. Without a clear direction, serious mistakes are made that cost human lives and suffering.
 
 
 
 
See my suggested, most suitable answer »
A more detailed explanation:
1. The most suitable answer is answer number 4.
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, you will also suffer a defeat for every victory gained. You will succumb in every battle if you know neither the enemy nor yourself." (Sun Tzu) Sun Tzu was a Chinese politician and general. Considered the strategic founder of the art of war.
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