The tools of a trade: to serve, not to supplant.Medicine is a unique profession: as the art of healing, it is charged with curing and caring for the patient as person; yet, as a progressively scientific and evidence-based discipline, it also benefits from the focused insights afforded by technology. It is at once art and science; both dimensions are essential to medicine's health and wellbeing. However, in this age of ever-more-rapidly developing technical and scientific acumen, it increasingly has become the trend to overlook the underlying art for the "solutions" of science. Such a trend is more than just unfortunate: the science and technology that are employed by medicine serve as tools in the quest to care for the patient; as tools, therefore, they can serve but not supplant sup·plant tr.v. sup·plant·ed, sup·plant·ing, sup·plants 1. To usurp the place of, especially through intrigue or underhanded tactics. 2. medicine's fundamental aim, an aim that is central to its noble nature and identity. Moreover, in seeking this aim, medicine becomes good. It is not a morally neutral activity. (1) The powers which scientific advancement present to medicine are both remarkable and wonderful, and these tools should be taken up by healthcare professionals. That much said, however, great care and attention should be given to the development of these tools, as well as the reason for their development. (2,3) As science continues to reveal wonder after wonder, it needs to be asked whether and where a line should be drawn, and, if so, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. what standard(s). (4) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Humankind, gifted with rich cognitive, emotional, relational and spiritual attributes, (5) is driven by its very nature to transcend and perfect itself. Moreover, this compulsion to seek (self-) perfection implicitly entails a moral dimension. (3,6) Medicine, which is chiefly a matter of social concern, should approach and respect these human qualities in the nature and quality of the care that it delivers, both for the benefit of the individual and for that of the common good. Unfortunately, this dimension--although so central to what it is to be a human person--is in danger of being trivialized and overlooked in the move toward a value-neutral, "technocratic" rendition of medicine. (1) In so shifting the focus, not only is the quality of medical care diminished, but so, too, is the nature of medical care; the emphasis is narrowed to the biologic rather than to the human, persons are reduced to case presentations, (7) and medicine, no longer an art, is inevitably comodified. (8) Cause for concern is evidenced in the development of recent genetic and reproductive technologies, including stem cell stem cell In living organisms, an undifferentiated cell that can produce other cells that eventually make up specialized tissues and organs. There are two major types of stem cells, embryonic and adult. research, gene therapy and assisted reproductive technologies. In the previous issue of the Southern Medical Journal, great attention was given to the dual issues of stem cell research and cloning; in this issue of the Journal, the problem of how to approach and incorporate scientific advances in medicine while still respecting human nature and dignity is explored more broadly. The central issues remain largely unchanged; how far should such powers be allowed to advance, and according to what criteria should they be judged? Moreover, how can these advances, which offer so much hope and promise, be incorporated in a manner which respects human dignity Human dignity is an expression that can be used as a moral concept or as a legal term. Sometimes it means no more than that human beings should not be treated as objects. Beyond this, it is meant to convey an idea of absolute and inherent worth that does not need to be acquired and ? Science and technology have been integral to the development of the marvel that is modern medicine. However, the potential for further progress should not be allowed to eclipse the potentially eroding effects that obsession for increased powers of control may grant. Medicine has bravely entered a bold new era; now, it is our responsibility to ensure that it does not blindly slip into the morass of a brave new world Brave New World Aldous Huxley’s grim picture of the future, where scientific and social developments have turned life into a tragic travesty. [Br. Lit.: Magill I, 79] See : Dystopia Brave New World in the vain pursuit of the next technological grail. References 1. Iglesias T. The Dignity of the Individual: Issues of Bioethics bioethics, in philosophy, a branch of ethics concerned with issues surrounding health care and the biological sciences. These issues include the morality of abortion, euthanasia, in vitro fertilization, and organ transplants (see transplantation, medical). and Law. Dublin, Pleroma pleroma the Gnostic concept of the spiritual world, representing the fullness of the Divine Being and the eons emanating therefrom. See also: Mysticism Press, 2001. 2. Sulmasy D. Promethean medicine: spirituality, stem cells stem cells, unspecialized human or animal cells that can produce mature specialized body cells and at the same time replicate themselves. Embryonic stem cells are derived from a blastocyst (the blastula typical of placental mammals; see embryo), which is very young , and cloning. South Med J 2006;99:1419-1423. 3. Daly CC. The sound of science: the power to bless or to burn. South Med J 2006;99:1416-1418. 4. Hoose B. Gene therapy: where to draw the line. Hum Gene Ther 1990;1:299-306. 5. Solyom AE. Internal morality of motherhood and integrity of physicians in the era of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). South Med J 2006;99:1424-1428. 6. Keenan J. Perfecting ourselves: on Christian tradition Christian traditions are traditions of practice or belief associated with Christianity. The term has several connected meanings. In terms of belief, traditions are generally stories or history that are or were widely accepted without being part of Christian doctrine. and enhancement. South Med J 2007;100:96-97. 7. Daly C. Ministering to patient and person. South Med J 2006;99:639-40. 8. Pellegrino E. The commodification Commodification (or commoditization) is the transformation of what is normally a non-commodity into a commodity, or, in other words, to assign value. As the word commodity has distinct meanings in business and in Marxist theory, commodification of medical and health care: the moral consequences of a paradigm shift A dramatic change in methodology or practice. It often refers to a major change in thinking and planning, which ultimately changes the way projects are implemented. For example, accessing applications and data from the Web instead of from local servers is a paradigm shift. See paradigm. from a professional to a market ethic. J Med Philos 1999;24:243-266. Conrad C. Daly, MTh From East Tennessee State University East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is an accredited American university, founded October 21911 and located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities. , Johnson City Johnson City. 1 Village (1990 pop. 16,890), Broome co., S N.Y., in a tricity area including Endicott and Binghamton; inc. 1892. It has been noted for its Endicott-Johnson shoes. , TN. Reprint requests to Conrad C. Daly, PO Box 70429, Johnson City, TN 37614. Email: eutrapelia@gmail.com |
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