If we have a medical or psychological problem, we go to a specialist who puts a name on it. Then we receive a matching treatment. For example, if you have a gut problem, you go to a doctor who may recommend to reset your gut which could mean detoxifying through the help of oral medications. 

We are too quick to ignore how imprecise that approach can be, says Pieter Adriaens professor of philosophy.

Philosophy of Science and Healthcare

Pieter Adriaens has recently published three handbooks in which he explains how philosophy works, for bioengineers, biomedical scientists, and psychologists respectively. Adriaens is unraveling current issues of care and ethical paradoxes in his books. In Thinking about bodies, his most recent book, he talks about medicalization, obesity, and human handicaps, among other things.

For example, Adriaens describes how the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies obesity as a disease, which can be helpful in treating some patients but can also have harmful consequences. Not every person with a pound more suffers from a disease, so stigmatization is undesirable. Scientific supporters of Fat studies are diametrically opposed to this. For them, obesity is the result of a diet that is poorly adapted to our sedentary life. They also cite a psychosocial cause.

Obese people are not sick themselves, but the persistent stigmatization makes them more susceptible to psychological problems. Adriaens uses the example to show that we do not always use rational arguments when determining syndromes (and their treatment).

Philosophy of Science

In modern times, probably no branch of philosophy is as relevant as the philosophy of science. Philosophy of science is a discipline of philosophy that deals with the critical examination of the presuppositions, methods, and results of the sciences. That is now more important than ever, now that technological progress is going very fast and we are always going one step further. Science is essential in our civilization, but we sometimes forget to consider why, and whether all this progress is going in the right way. The philosophy of science helps with this.

The questions that philosophy of science poses

What Determines Good Science? Who makes the decision? What are the ideological frameworks that occurred in science? Philosophy of science is a philosophical concept that examines how science works and develops knowledge. The study wanted to characterize and analyze the science industry, which may be historical or based on methods and techniques. Everyone wants to understand science as well as condemn it. Is this what we want? Should we be more critical, or should we engage with science more? Is that the case? All of this is discussed in the philosophy of science.

Criticism of Modern Science

There are many philosophers of science – modern and ancient, living and dead – who criticize the course of science. They argue that too much is being done without considering whether this is moral or necessary for the world. On the other hand, there are of course the philosophers for whom it cannot go fast enough, because scientific progress is what distinguishes us from other animal species. Learn more about science here.

The protection of the environment and climate plays a major role in all age groups at the beginning of the 21st century. Science, education, and consumer protection are an important part of an increasingly green economy. They lay the foundations for sustainability knowledge and thus also for sustainability action, according to David Perry.

The specific activities are as diverse as environmental and climate protection itself. In other countries, there is a four-digit number of environmentally-related courses in which academic staff, professors, or assistants pass on their knowledge to students. The school and extracurricular education system deal with even younger people by imparting environmental and climate knowledge to young people.