Humanism and the Physician

Humanism and the Physician is an elaborate articulation of the idea of humanism and the idea of medicine, and the intrinsic relevance each has for the other. The book is a collection of thematically related essays taken from speeches and articles written during the last sixteen years, though most are quite recent. The essays are organized into three parts, delineating the relevance of humanism and the humanities to medicine, medical ethics, and medical education. It is not an especially rewarding book to read through; there is considerable repetition of ideas, though it is possible to see their development over time. Though the book may be valuable to some for its very careful, highly academic framing of a groundwork for the discussion and study of medicine and philosophical humanism, these are not very accessible pieces, in style, vocabulary, or substance. The author is at his best when actually making an ethical case, which, unfortunately, he does not do often enough. Chapter 6, "The Hippocratic Oath Revisited" is perhaps the best, demonstrating that a fair-minded dialogue with ancient ethical principles can yield rich new insights into modern medical realities, however much they may differ from the world of Hippocrates. In short, this is a valuable reference work, though few readers will probably be interested in all of it. It should be read by those concerned with the ethics of medical education and the practice of medicine in modern societies with highly pluralistic value systems.