Philosophy for Medicine: Applications in a Clinical Context - Softcover

This revised and updated edition addresses changes within the NHS and European legislation that impact on teaching and learning in healthcare. It draws on working practice and theoretical knowledge in the changing healthcare environment and should be of interest to doctors, nurses, training and development managers working within primary and secondary care.

This book is an introduction to the philosophical questions which inevitably arise in medical practice and in the conceptions of human life which inform medical theory. It brings these questions to the attention of medical practitioners of patients and of everyone interested in medicine's gaze upon the modern human condition. The questions range from the reliability and applicability of medical knowledge through the roles of ethics aesthetics and spirituality to the way in which our experience of the world is dominated by our bodily form and nature - be that experience a normal or a pathological one. Philosophy for Medicine provides a clear and concise explanation of how philosophical concepts underpin much medical activity and shows how being aware of them can improve everyday practice. It helps readers be aware of assumptions they make and to challenge them where appropriate. The book tackles head-on the question of the relevance of philosophy for medicine and demonstrates it is more than relevant - it is the very basis of medical practice.