Medicine and morality in the ancient world : an analysis of Galen's medical and philosophical writings
The great power of the medical profession over the lives of men entails a wealth of moral problems in medical practice and lends particular importance to questions of the responsibility of the physician. We investigate the solutions offered by Galen, the most prolific medical author of classical Antiquity, in his medical and philosophical writings. Issues of ethics and moral psychology are discussed in numerous passages of Galen's works, and he even devoted a number of treatises exclusively to ethics. The main results of our analysis of these treatises and passages can be summarized as follows. Starting with his interpretation of a prominent Hippocratic maxim, we discuss possible motivations for Galen's re-definition of the relationship between physician and patient. For Galen, it was the physician, not the patient, who led the fight against the disease. This prominent position of the Galenic physician entailed particular obligations and responsibilities. But Galen also took the view that certain responsibilities resided with the patient, particularly that of selecting the right physician and keeping the prescribed diets. Moreover Galen thought that everybody ought to pursue the systematic liberation of the
Linden, David Edmund Johannes
Ethics ; Medical ethics
Medicine and morality in the ancient world : an analysis of Galen's medical and philosophical writings. The great power of the medical profession over the lives of men entails a wealth of moral problems in medical practice and lends particular importance to questions of the responsibility of the physician. We investigate the solutions offered by Galen, the most prolific medical author of classical Antiquity, in his medical and philosophical writings. Issues of ethics and moral psychology are discussed in numerous passages of Galen's works, and he even devoted a number of treatises exclusively to ethics. The main results of our analysis of these treatises and passages can be summarized as follows. Starting with his interpretation of a prominent Hippocratic maxim, we discuss possible motivations for Galen's re-definition of the relationship between physician and patient. For Galen, it was the physician, not the patient, who led the fight against the disease. This prominent position of the Galenic physician entailed particular obligations and responsibilities. But Galen also took the view that certain responsibilities resided with the patient, particularly that of selecting the right physician and keeping the prescribed diets. Moreover Galen thought that everybody ought to pursue the systematic liberation of the
medicine morality ancient_world analysis galen medical philosophical_writing great_power medical_profession live men entail wealth moral problem medical_practice lend particular_importance question responsibility physician investigate solution offer galen prolific medical author classical_antiquity medical philosophical_writing issues ethic moral_psychology discuss numerous passage galen work even devote number treatise exclusively ethic main analysis treatise passages summarize follow starting interpretation prominent maxim discus possible motivation galen definition relationship physician patient galen physician patient lead fight disease prominent position physician entail particular obligation responsibility galen also take view certain responsibility reside patient particularly select right physician keep diet moreover galen think ought pursue systematic liberation