The Polish School of Philosophy of Medicine

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-viii

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2. Introduction: Philosophy of Medicine in Poland

   • Ilana Löwy

   Pages 1-12

3. The Last Follower of ‘Medical Systems’ or Pioneer of a New Approach to Therapy?

   • Tytus Chalubinski

   Pages 13-24

4. Text of Tytus Chalubinski The Methods of Finding Therapeutic Indications (1874)

   • Ilana Löwy

   Pages 25-36

5. Edmund Biernacki on the Science of Diseases and the Art of Healing

   • Ilana Löwy

   Pages 37-48

6. Text Of Edmund Biernacki

   • Ilana Löwy

   Pages 49-67

7. Wladyslaw Bieganski Between the Logic of Science and the Logic of Medicine

   • Ilana Löwy

   Pages 69-90

8. Texts of Wladyslaw Bieganski General Problems of The Theory of Medical Sciences (1897)

   • Ilana Löwy

   Pages 91-99

9. Zygmunt Kramsztyk and the Critical Evaluation of Medical Practice

   • Ilana Löwy

   Pages 121-135

10. Texts of Zygmunt Kramsztyk ‘Rational Treatment’

    • Ilana Löwy

    Pages 137-162

11. From Medical Critique to the Archives of the History and Philosophy of Medicine: The Institutionalization of the Polish School of the Philosophy of Medicine

    • Ilana Löwy

    Pages 163-183

12. Texts of Adam Wrzosek and Stanislaw Trzebinski Adam Wrzosek ‘Trends in Contemporary Medicine’

    • Ilana Löwy

    Pages 185-213

13. From Philosophy of Medicine to a Constructivist and Relativist Epistemology

    • Ludwik Fleck

    Pages 215-227

14. Texts of Ludwik Fleck and Tadeusz Bilikiewicz

    • Ludwik Fleck

    Pages 229-275

15. Conclusions Philosophizing at the Bedside

    • Ilana Löwy

    Pages 277-284

16. Back Matter

    Pages 285-290

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My 'discovery' of the Polish School of philosophy of medicine stemmed from my studies in the genesis of Ludwik Fleck's epistemology. These studies, and my interest in the scientific roots of Fleck's epistemology were a nearly 'natural' result of my own biography: like Fleck I had been trained, an had worked as an immunologist, and had later switched to studies in the social history of medicine and biology. Moreover, it so happened that Fleck's book, Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact -the description of a science as it is, not as it should be -was the first epistemological study in which I found echos of my experience in the laboratory. My interest in Fleck was also highlightened by the fact that in his works, and, as I discovered later, in the works of his predecessors of the Polish School of philosophy of medicine, was formulated the problem that had stimulated my interest in the history of medicine and biology, and is still central to my present investigations: the relationships between biological knowledge and clinical practice. The writing of the book was made possible through to the help of many colleagues and friends. The unfailing support for my research, whatever its subject might be, from my colleagues from Unit 158 of INSERM and in particular from its head Patrice Pinell, has made my study of the Polish School possible.

• Archive
• diseases
• epistemology
• ethics
• logic
• medical ethics
• medical knowledge
• philosophy
• philosophy of medicine
• therapy

• Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, INSERM, Paris, France

  Ilana Löwy

Policies and ethics