Art, science, and the existential focus of clinical medicine. Issue 2 (1st December 2002)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Warsop, A
• Is Part Of: Medical humanities. Volume 28:Issue 2(2002)
• Page Start: 74
• Page End: 77
• Publication Date: 2002-12-01
• Subjects: art of medicine -- medical science -- existential -- techne; Medicine and the humanities -- Periodicals; Medical ethics -- Periodicals; 616.1
• DOI: 10.1136/mh.28.2.74
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1468-215X

Abstract

Abstract : The continuing debate over the status of medicine as an art or a science remains far from resolved. The aim of this paper is to clarify what is meant by the art of medicine. In the following interpretation I contrast two current perspectives of the medical art. I argue that the art of medicine is best understood in terms of the Aristotelian notion of techne . It consists of listening skills directed to the lived experience of the patient in such a way that knowledge (principally scientific knowledge) can be applied in a therapeutic way. This constitutes what I call medicine's existential focus. The art of medicine is prior to and independent of medical science which plays an important but subordinate role.