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Why medicine cannot be a science

R Munson

    The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy
    |May 1, 1981
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Medicine is scientific but not a science due to inherent differences in aims and success criteria. Reducing its cognitive content to biology is possible, but medicine as an enterprise cannot be reduced.

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    Area of Science:

    • Philosophy of Medicine
    • Philosophy of Science

    Background:

    • Medicine exhibits scientific characteristics but its fundamental nature remains debated.
    • Distinguishing between the scientific aspects of medicine and medicine as a distinct enterprise is crucial.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To critically evaluate the claim that medicine is a science.
    • To delineate the inherent differences between medicine and science based on core features.
    • To explore the implications of these distinctions for reductionist arguments.

    Main Methods:

    • Comparative analysis of internal aims and criteria for success in medicine and science.
    • Examination of principles regulating both enterprises.
    • Philosophical argumentation regarding reductionism.

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    Main Results:

    • Medicine and science are fundamentally distinct enterprises based on their aims, success metrics, and governing principles.
    • While the cognitive content of medicine may be reducible to biology, medicine as a practice is not.
    • The enterprise of medicine possesses unique features precluding its reduction to science.

    Conclusions:

    • Recognizing the distinct nature of medicine and science yields significant implications.
    • Medicine, while scientific, is not and cannot become a science.
    • Four key results emerge from this distinction, impacting our understanding of medical practice and its relationship to science.