Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 15 (1):79-89 (2012)
Abstract |
In this paper I discuss a central objection against diseases being natural kinds—namely, that diseases are processes or transitions and hence they should not be conceptualized in the ‘substantish’ framework of natural kinds. I indicate that the objection hinges on conceiving disease kinds as phase kinds, in contrast to the non-phase, natural kinds of the exact sciences. I focus on somatic diseases and argue, via a representative comparison, that if disease kinds are phase kinds, then exact science kinds are phase kinds as well. On the other hand, if exact science kinds are non-phase kinds, then disease kinds are non-phase kinds as well. This objection should thus be rejected, under a certain caveat, though. If natural kind membership has an influence over the diachronic identity of kind members, then it is possible, in principle, to draw the phase/non-phase distinction such that an ‘ontological gap’ lies between medical kinds and exact science kinds. I show further that this caveat is unavoidable even in relation to substantive universals and ‘essential’ properties—two controversial, strong features that were traditionally associated to natural kinds.
|
Keywords | Natural kinds Processes Medical kinds Phase kinds Phases Substantial changes Jonathan Lowe |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
ISBN(s) | |
DOI | 10.1007/s11019-011-9316-1 |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
The Disorder of Things: Metaphysical Foundations of the Disunity of Science.John Dupré - 1993 - Harvard University Press.
View all 40 references / Add more references
Citations of this work BETA
Precision Medicine and Diseases as Natural Kinds: An Epistemological Dilemma.Ahti-Veikko Pietarinen & Donald E. Stanley - forthcoming - Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
Similar books and articles
Diseases as Natural Kinds.Stefan Dragulinescu - 2010 - Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 31 (5):347-369.
Arthritis and Nature's Joints.Neil E. Williams - 2011 - In Michael O'Rourke, Joseph Keim Campbell & Matthew H. Slater (eds.), Carving Nature at its Joints: Natural Kinds in Metaphysics and Science. MIT Press.
How to Fix Kind Membership: A Problem for Hpc Theory and a Solution.Thomas A. C. Reydon - 2009 - Philosophy of Science 76 (5):724-736.
Diseases and Natural Kinds.Daniel P. Sulmasy - 2005 - Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 26 (6):487-513.
Three Kinds of Social Kinds.Muhammad Ali Khalidi - 2015 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 90 (1):96-112.
Why Hacking is Wrong About Human Kinds.Rachel Cooper - 2004 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 55 (1):73-85.
Natural Kinds in Evolution and Systematics: Metaphysical and Epistemological Considerations.Ingo Brigandt - 2009 - Acta Biotheoretica 57 (1-2):77-97.
Biological Essentialism and the Tidal Change of Natural Kinds.John S. Wilkins - 2013 - Science & Education 22 (2):221-240.
Do the Life Sciences Need Natural Kinds?Thomas A. Reydon - 2009 - Croatian Journal of Philosophy 9 (2):167-190.
The Natural Shiftiness of Natural Kinds.Ronald de Sousa - 1984 - Canadian Journal of Philosophy 14 (4):561 - 580.
Kinds of Kinds: A Conceptual Taxonomy of Psychiatric Categories.Nick Haslam - 2002 - Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Psychology 9 (3):203-217.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2012-01-17
Total views
51 ( #224,305 of 2,519,857 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
4 ( #166,836 of 2,519,857 )
2012-01-17
Total views
51 ( #224,305 of 2,519,857 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
4 ( #166,836 of 2,519,857 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads