The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Medicine

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Medicine is a guide to areas of current activity and change, not only in philosophy of medicine but also in medical science and practice. This volume reflects a renewed awareness that medical traditions are culturally diverse and of the philosophical opportunities this creates. It presents important new work on the nature of medicine, its demarcation from rivals, and the legitimacy of its claims to superiority. The volume reviews the varied expressions of discontent with biomedicine, and some of the spirited responses. Social justice has emerged in contemporary philosophy of medicine, as it has elsewhere, as a major concern. The complex relationship between medical knowledge and action is approached from multiple angles. And the volume cuts the waiting list in medical metaphysics, with several new topics receiving treatment alongside familiar ones. This handbook demonstrates a small part of what philosophy of medicine can contribute both to medicine and to philosophy.