[The history of medicine versus relativism]. 1998

J Strojnowski

The author analyzes the issue of relation of the history of medicine to relativism. He pinpoints that it was the history of science that has been used nowadays as the basis for speculations on any type of science. Perceiving the contemporary history of science as a descriptive discipline is deemed by him a serious challenge to the historians of medicine. He believes that the studies conducted by the historians of medicine may expert a huge impact on the vevelopment of individual medical desciplines. The author profoundly analyzes the thesis presented by relativists that the cognitive value of any science is relative. He takes into consideration the views of philosophers, sociologists and historians. As a result of his speculations, J. Strojnowski draws the conclusion that scientific theses are more or less true, though none of them is close to the truth. The notion of the truth does not function in the science, but it may not be omitted in the study of the progress of human knowledge. The notion belongs to the philosophy of science and refers, in particular, to a scientist's attitude. Scientists must believe in the truth, although they know they will never reach it.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010684 Philosophy A love or pursuit of wisdom. A search for the underlying causes and principles of reality. (Webster, 3d ed) Hedonism,Stoicism,Pharmacy Philosophy,Philosophical Overview,Overview, Philosophical,Overviews, Philosophical,Pharmacy Philosophies,Philosophical Overviews,Philosophies,Philosophies, Pharmacy,Philosophy, Pharmacy
D006663 Historiography The writing of history; the principles, theory, and history of historical writing; the product of historical writing. (Webster, 3d ed) Historiographies
D012586 Science The study of natural phenomena by observation, measurement, and experimentation. Sciences
D049673 History, 20th Century Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era. 20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History
D019359 Knowledge The body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time, the cumulated sum of information, its volume and nature, in any civilization, period, or country. Epistemology

Related Publications

J Strojnowski
April 1993, The Journal of medicine and philosophy,
J Strojnowski
June 1955, Le Progres medical,
J Strojnowski
August 1955, Transactions & studies of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia,
J Strojnowski
October 2005, Nursing philosophy : an international journal for healthcare professionals,
J Strojnowski
January 1979, The Milbank Memorial Fund quarterly. Health and society,
J Strojnowski
January 1979, The Milbank Memorial Fund quarterly. Health and society,
J Strojnowski
December 1968, Scientific American,
J Strojnowski
October 2017, Journal of evaluation in clinical practice,
J Strojnowski
January 2012, Medicina nei secoli,
J Strojnowski
January 2021, Topoi : an international review of philosophy,
Copied contents to your clipboard!