LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course is to provide students with an advanced overview of the main problems faced by the philosophy of medicine in the analytic tradition, with particular reference to contemporary debates. Not only general, metaphysical and epistemological issues will be examined, but also specific problems related to medical practice.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aims of this course are: consolidating the conceptual and terminological apparatus to be able to argue in a clear and rigorous way on advanced topics in the philosophy of medicine and psychiatry, developing personal opinions based on coherent and sound reasoning; analyzing in more depths relevant notions such as evidence, scientific explanation, theoretical change, realism and anti-realism, especially focusing on medicine and psychiatry; learning to critically evaluate the main issues currently addressed by the philosophy of medicine and psychiatry in the analytic tradition.

At the end of the course, the student will be able to: understand, explain, and resume advanced texts in philosophy of medicine and psychiatry, with an appropriate conceptual and terminological apparatus; apply the analytical tools of philosophical reasoning to the discussion of new scientific problems, with regard to the philosophy of medicine and psychiatry; critically evaluate current scientific issues, advancing arguments and counter-arguments; to acquire a greater ability to manage their social interactions with a collaborative attitude, constructive communication and dialogic skills as well as to demonstrate autonomy of work, ability to handle primary literature, argumentative skills and collaborative attidude, coordination and negotiation.

PREREQUISITES

It would be useful having already attended to an undergraduate course in Philosophy of science

TEACHING METHODS

The course will alternate between face-to-face lectures given by the lecturer and in-class presentations given by the attending students. During the course, internationally recognized outside experts may be called upon to give seminars on specific topics. In the first part of the course, lectures will be given face-to-face, during which, however, debate and discussion will always be encouraged. In the second part, there will instead be in-class presentations by students on articles or topics relevant to the course; these papers may also be given in small groups.

Students must register to Aulaweb to obtain relevant teaching material.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course aims to critically discuss some of the major questions that are raised within the philosophy of contemporary medicine and psychiatry. What are disease and mental disorder? Do diseases and mental disorders really exist or are they just social constructions? How is the debate between realists and anti-realists in medicine articulated? In what does the experimental method in medicine consist? Is it a method that can also be applied to psychiatry? In what does the strong medical model in psychiatry consist? What is the relationship between medical evidence and social health policies?

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1) One volume among the following:

- Broadbent, A. (2019), Philosophy of medicine, OUP.
- Stegenga, J. (2018), Care and cure. An introduction to the philosophy of medicine, Un. Chicago Press.

2) One volume among the following:

- Bolton, D. (2019), The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Disease, Palgrave.
- Canguilhem, G. (1998), Il normale e il patologico, Einaudi.
- Goldenberg, M. (2021), Vaccine hesitancy, Univ. of Pittsburgh Press.
- Gupta, M. (2014), Is evidence based psychiatry ethical? OUP.
- Jefferson, A. (2022), Are mental disorders brain disorders? Routledge.
- Solomon, M. (2020), Medical knowledge, OUP.
- Stegenga, J., (2019), Medical nihilism, OUP.
 

Other relevant readings in English will be proposed to incoming students.