The limits of medicine: cure or enhancement

What are the final limits of medicine? What should we not try to cure medically, even if we had the necessary financial resources and technology? This book philosophically addresses these questions by examining two mirror-image debates in tandem. Members of certain groups, who are deemed by traditional standards to have a medical condition, such as deafness, obesity, or anorexia, argue that they have created their own cultures and ways of life. Curing their conditions would be a form of genocide. Members of other groups are seeking to provide medical treatment to what would conventionally be deemed 'cultural conditions'. Mild neurotics who take anti-depressants to elevate their mood, runners who use steroids, or men and women seeking cosmetic surgery are asking for medical treatment for problems that might be solved culturally, by changing norms, pressures, or expectations in the broader culture. Each of these two debates endeavors to locate medicine's final frontier and to articulate what it is that we should not treat medically even if we could. This volume analyzes what these two contemporary debates have to say to each other and thus offers a new way of determining medicine's final limits. What Are The Final Limits Of Medicine? What Should We Not Try To Cure Medically, Even If We Have The Necessary Financial Resources And Technology? This Book Philosophically Addresses These Questions By Examining Two Mirror-image Debates In Tandem. Members Of Certain Groups, Who Are Deemed By Traditional Standards To Have A Medical Condition, Such As Deafness, Obesity, Or Anorexia, Have Begun Arguing That They Have Created Their Own Cultures And Ways Of Life. Curing Their Conditions, They Claim, Would Be A Form Of Genocide. At The Same Time, Members Of Other Groups Are Seeking Medical Cures For What Would Conventionally Be Deemed Cultural Conditions. Mild Neurotics Who Take Antidepressants To Elevate Their Mood, Runners Who Use Steroids, Or Men And Women Seeking Cosmetic Surgery Are Pursuing Medical Treatment For Problems That Arguably Might Better Be Solved Culturally, By Changing Norms, Pressures, Or Expectations In The Broader Culture. Each Of These Two Debates Endeavors To Locate Medicine's Final Frontier And To Articulate What It Is That We Should Not Treat Medically Even If We Could. This Volume Analyzes What These Two Contemporary Debates Have To Say To Each Other And Thus Offers A New Way Of Determining Medicine's Final Limits.--jacket. Acknowledgements -- Introduction: Reversing Our Lenses -- Between The Normal And The Ideal -- A Visit To The Kantian Doctor -- Cultural Spouses, Cultural Siblings -- Conclusion -- Notes. Andrew Stark. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 199-244) And Index. Half-title......Page 3 Dedication......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgments......Page 9 Introduction......Page 11 Cure versus Enhancement......Page 13 Cure versus Cultural Genocide......Page 18 Reversing Our Lenses......Page 20 The Eight Conditions......Page 27 1 Between the Normal and the Ideal......Page 41 The Problem with Canguilhem......Page 42 Norms......Page 46 Homosexuality, Pregnancy, Death, and Atheism: Are These Medical Conditions?......Page 51 Ideals......Page 63 The Eight Conditions......Page 71 2 A Visit to the Kantian Doctor......Page 95 Genuineness, Artificiality, Struggle, and Ease......Page 96 Does Struggle Substitute for Cure?......Page 111 Does Cure Substitute for Struggle?......Page 122 3 Cultural Spouses, Cultural Siblings......Page 151 Cultural Exit, Not Cultural Genocide......Page 152 Group Genocide or Cultural Genocide?......Page 161 Cultural Spouses......Page 165 Cultural Siblings......Page 183 Conclusion......Page 197 Notes......Page 209 Index......Page 255 Acknowledgements Introduction: reversing our lenses Between the normal and the ideal A visit to the Kantian doctor Cultural spouses, cultural siblings Conclusion Notes to introduction and part I Notes to part II, part III and conclusion.