Abstract
Medicine is arriving at a new millenium. One of its most urgent tasks is to reconcile social health demands with a renewed medical paradigm capable of including them. This challenge requires a reexamination of the definition of medicine.
This work takes up the original greek definition of medicine (Tekhne Iatrike) and the Medical Act according to P. Lain Entrago, and analyzes Heidegger's interpretation of Tekhne. It points out the two main ways in which current medical practice is sustained: the Instrumental Medical Act (IMA), which organizes medical production, and the Productive Medical Act (PMA), which motivates it.
An overwhelmed Medical Act, fighting but incapable of optimizing an insufficient medical production, is observed. This medical act is searching for foundations: an hegemonic IMA, associated disciplines and a new medical hierarchy.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lain Entralgo P. Historia de la Medicina. 1st ed. Barcelona: Salvat, 1982: 58.
Weber A. Historia de la cultura. 9th ed. (Spanish translation from Kulturgeschichte als Kultursozialogie). Mexico D. F.: Fondo de Cultura Economica, 1968: 342.
Ortega y Gasset J. La rebelion de las masas. 1st ed. Santiago de Chile: Andres Bello, 1989.
Le Bon G. La psicologia de las multitudes (Spanish translation), Santiago de Chile: Cultura, 1937.
Lersch Ph. El hombre en la actualidad. 2nd ed. (Spanish translation from Der Mensch in der Gegenwart). Madrid: Gredos, 1973.
Millas J. El desafio espiritual de la sociedad de masas. 1st ed. Santiago de Chile: Universitaria, 1962.
Illich I. Nemesis Medicale. 1st ed. Paris: Seuil. 1975: 16 (see Medical Nemesis, N.Y.: Phantheon, 1975).
Bunge M. Epistemologia. 1st ed. Barcelona: Ariel, 1981: 233.
Diccionario de ciencias medicas “Dorland”. El Ateneo, ed. (Spanish translation from Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 24th ed. 1965), 1986: 853.
Lain Entralgo P. Historia de la Medicina: 58.
Harrison TR, Wintrobe MM, Thorn GW, et al. El Medico y el Paciente. In: Medicina Interna. 4th ed. (Spanish translation from Principles of Internal Medicine, 6th ed. McGraw-Hill Inc.). Mexico: La Prensa Medica Mexicana. 1973: 1.
Smith Ll H Jr, Wyngaarden JB. La medicina como profesion humana y erudita. Tratado de Medicina Interna de Cecil. 18th ed. (Spanish translation from Cecil's Texbook of Medicine, 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Saunders Co. 1988). Mexico: Interamericana-McGraw-Hill, 1991: 1–7.
Kuhn TS. La estructura de las revoluciones cientificas. 1st. ed. (Spanish translation from The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970). Madrid: Fondo de Cultura Economica, 1975: 55.
Pellegrino ED, Thomasma DC. A Philosophical Basis of Medical Practice. 1st ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981: 59–61.
Lain Entralgo P. La relacion medico — enfermo. 1st ed. Madrid: Revista de Occidente, S.A., 1964: 52.
Jaeger W. Paideia. 2nd ed. (Spanish translation from Paideia. New York: Oxford University Press, 1944). Madrid: Fondo de Cultura Economica, 1982: 804.
Heidegger M. Ciencia y Tecnica: La pregunta por la tecnica. 1st ed. (Spanish translation from Vortage und aufsatze: Die trage nach der technik). Santiago de Chile: Universitaria. 1980: 71–107. This was a M. Heidegger's conference (Munich 1953) “Die trage nach der technik”, appeared published (1954) in the book: Vortage und Aufsätze (Ed. Neske. Pfullingen).
Ibid: 72.
Ibid: 74.
Ibid: 73.
Ibid: 78.
Ibid: 80.
Ibid: 79.
Ibid: 77.
Ibid: 93.
Ibid: 100.
Lain Entralgo P. La Historia Clinica. 2nd ed. Barcelona: Salvat, 1961: 11–12.
Goldsmith JC. The US health care system in the year 2000. JAMA 1986;256:3371–3375.
The American Medical Association Council on Long-range Planning and Development. Health care in transition. JAMA 1986;256:3384–3390.
McGuinnis JM, Richmond JB, Brandt EN, Windom RE, Mason JO. Health progress in the United States. JAMA 1992;268:2545–2551.
Ricoeur P. El lenguaje de la fe. 1st ed. (Spanish translation from Taches de l'educateur politique) B. Aires: La Aurora, 1978: 81–99.
Gostin L, Cole HM. Law and medicine in JAMA. (Editorial). JAMA 1992;268:3479.
Wood J. The impact on legal modes of thought upon the practice of psychiatry. Brit J Psychiat 1982;140:551–557.
Relman AS. Assessment and accountability. N Engl J Med 1988;319:1220–1222.
Relamn AS. The new medical-industrial complex. N Engl J Med. 1980;303:963–970.
King LS. Medicine — trade or profession?. (Editorial). JAMA. 1985;253:2709–2710.
Fuchs VR, Garber AM. The new technology assessment. N Engl J Med 1990;323:673–677.
Sprung Ch L. Changing attitudes and practices in forgoing life-sustaining treatments. JAMA 1990;263:2211–2215.
Todd JS. Professionalism at its worst. (Editorial). JAMA 1991;266:3338.
Dougherty Ch J. Ethical values at stake in health care reform. JAMA 1992;268:2409–2412.
Habermas J. Pensamiento postmetafisico. 1st ed. (Spanish translation from Nachmetaphysisches denken”) Madrid: Taurus, 1990: 13–63.
Habermas J. Ciencia y tecnica como “ideologia’. 1st ed. (Spanish translation from Tecnik und Wissenschaft als Ideologie”) Madrid: Tecnos, 1989: 53–112.
Leavitt FJ. Let's keep metaphyisics out of medical ehtics. J Med Ethics 1992;18:206–209.
Thomasma DC, Pellegrino ED. Philosophy of medicine as the source for medical ethics. Metamedicine 1981;2:5–11.
Scadding JG. Health and disease: what can medicine do for philosophy?. J Med Ethics 1988;14:118–124.
Millas: 31–58.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Araya, R.F. The outlook of the Tekhne Iatrike and the medical act to the third millenium. Theor Med Bioeth 17, 163–173 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00539738
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00539738