| Unit name | The Philosophy and History of Medicine |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL30080 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Bird |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit is designed to introduce some of the key elements of the philosophy of medicine in their historical context. It focuses particularly on the philosophy of medical science through the ages. Topics may include: Greek medical thinking, Galenic theories of the Renaissance, the upheavals of the 19th century; and contemporary debate on holism and reductionism. Additionally it looks at the putative relationships of soul, mind, emotion, brain and illness. Given the scope of this field, teaching will largely be through specific case studies and topics, such as the Hippocratic Oath, the Four Humours, the emergence of the medical profession in the 19th century, medical reasoning, the limits of statistical inference and the insights of complexity theory. There will be a lecture and a seminar in each of the twelve weeks of the teaching block. Assessment will be formative (an essay and a presentation) and summative (an 'open book' examination).
