The Hermeneutics of Medicine and the Phenomenology of Health: Steps Towards a Philosophy of Medical Practice

Svenaeus (health and society, U. of Linkeping, Sweden) offers insights into the philosophical undertones of modern medicine, incorporating Heidegger's phenomenology and Gadamer's hermeneutics to help make sense of a variety of themes in Western medicine. By evaluating the rise of modern medical practice and epistemology, as well as the phenomenology of health and illness, the author proposes a new way of understanding medical concepts such as health and the physician/patient relationship. Ultimately Svenaeus is interested in the encounter between doctor and patient and what that meeting reveals ontologically and epistemologically. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)