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Chapter 3 - Science and Medicine

The Systematicity Thesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2024

Somogy Varga
Affiliation:
Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
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Summary

This chapter takes on the nature of scientific activity, particularly in medicine, setting out to defend the "Systematicity Thesis," which posits that medicine, like science, is systematic inquiry. Referencing literature on the demarcation issue in philosophy of science, it maintains that despite the failure of established approaches, the issue should not be abandoned. Science, it suggests, is a family resemblance concept unified not by an intrinsic property but by a relational property that allows gradational differences from nonscientific pursuits. Using Hoyningen-Huene’s (2013) account of systematicity as a necessary criterion for science, the chapter shows that both medical science and clinical medicine meet this criterion. In a critical dialogue with Oreskes (2019), the thesis is applied and tested, demonstrating that homeopathy lacks the systematicity present in scientific pursuits, making it vulnerable to biases. It also underscores that systematicity fosters reasoning and inquiry that yield reliable knowledge and understanding.

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Chapter
Information
Science, Medicine, and the Aims of Inquiry
A Philosophical Analysis
, pp. 57 - 84
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Science and Medicine
  • Somogy Varga, Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
  • Book: Science, Medicine, and the Aims of Inquiry
  • Online publication: 16 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009449977.005
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  • Science and Medicine
  • Somogy Varga, Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
  • Book: Science, Medicine, and the Aims of Inquiry
  • Online publication: 16 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009449977.005
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Science and Medicine
  • Somogy Varga, Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
  • Book: Science, Medicine, and the Aims of Inquiry
  • Online publication: 16 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009449977.005
Available formats
×