Technology and Dehumanization of Medicine

Abstract

As the subject matter raised by the title is extremely large, this chapter can only focus on a few aspects for some detailed examination. The nature of technology in general would have to be looked at in order to set the scene for a later discussion of medical technology. Technology cannot be understood except as part of the philosophy of Modernism which involves the ontological volte-face of holding that all organisms, including the human organism are machines. This means that Modern Medicine not merely treats patients as machine but also uses machines to treat patients. Machines are intended to be cost-effective in the long run by increasing productivity; as such they necessarily replace human labor. In which medical contexts, then, would replacing human beings by machines constitute the highest level of dehumanization?