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Metaphors and models in medicine.

N Pickering1

  • 1Centre for Philosophy and Health Care, University of Wales, Swansea, UK.

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics
|November 5, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Medical scientists use metaphor similarly to poets, influencing scientific models and classifications. Metaphors can create likenesses and enhance explanatory significance, not just rely on pre-existing similarities.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Science
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Literary Theory

Background:

  • Metaphor is often viewed as a tool in scientific reasoning.
  • Some theories equate metaphor with scientific models based on likeness.
  • The role of metaphor beyond mere likeness is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the parallels between metaphor use in medical science and poetry.
  • To explore how metaphors contribute to scientific explanation and classification.
  • To challenge the associationist view of metaphor in science.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of historical scientific examples, specifically Louis Pasteur's work.
  • Conceptual comparison of metaphor and model in scientific practice.
  • Examination of metaphor's role in classification and reclassification.

Main Results:

  • Metaphor can establish likenesses rather than solely relying on them.
  • Metaphors are crucial for the explanatory power of scientific models.
  • Metaphorical use in science parallels poetic functions in classification and explanation.

Conclusions:

  • Metaphor is integral to scientific discovery and explanation in medicine.
  • The function of metaphor in science extends beyond simple comparison.
  • Medical scientists employ metaphor in ways analogous to poets, shaping understanding and discovery.

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