The Polish School of Philosophy of Medicine : From Tytus Chalubinski (1820–1889) to Ludwik Fleck (1896–1961)

My 'discovery' of the Polish School of philosophy of medicine stemmed from my studies in the genesis of Ludwik Fleck's epistemology. These studies, and my interest in the scientific roots of Fleck's epistemology were a nearly 'natural' result of my own biography: like Fleck I had been trained, an had worked as an immunologist, and had later switched to studies in the social history of medicine and biology. Moreover, it so happened that Fleck's book, Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact -the description of a science as it is, not as it should be -was the first epistemological study in which I found echos of my experience in the laboratory. My interest in Fleck was also highlightened by the fact that in his works, and, as I discovered later, in the works of his predecessors of the Polish School of philosophy of medicine, was formulated the problem that had stimulated my interest in the history of medicine and biology, and is still central to my present investigations: the relationships between biological knowledge and clinical practice. The writing of the book was made possible through to the help of many colleagues and friends. The unfailing support for my research, whatever its subject might be, from my colleagues from Unit 158 of INSERM and in particular from its head Patrice Pinell, has made my study of the Polish School possible. Front Matter....Pages i-viii Introduction: Philosophy of Medicine in Poland....Pages 1-12 The Last Follower of ‘Medical Systems’ or Pioneer of a New Approach to Therapy?....Pages 13-24 Text of Tytus Chalubinski The Methods of Finding Therapeutic Indications (1874) ....Pages 25-36 Edmund Biernacki on the Science of Diseases and the Art of Healing....Pages 37-48 Text Of Edmund Biernacki....Pages 49-67 Wladyslaw Bieganski Between the Logic of Science and the Logic of Medicine....Pages 69-90 Texts of Wladyslaw Bieganski General Problems of The Theory of Medical Sciences (1897)....Pages 91-99 Zygmunt Kramsztyk and the Critical Evaluation of Medical Practice....Pages 121-135 Texts of Zygmunt Kramsztyk ‘Rational Treatment’....Pages 137-162 From Medical Critique to the Archives of the History and Philosophy of Medicine: The Institutionalization of the Polish School of the Philosophy of Medicine....Pages 163-183 Texts of Adam Wrzosek and Stanislaw Trzebinski Adam Wrzosek ‘Trends in Contemporary Medicine’....Pages 185-213 From Philosophy of Medicine to a Constructivist and Relativist Epistemology....Pages 215-227 Texts of Ludwik Fleck and Tadeusz Bilikiewicz....Pages 229-275 Conclusions Philosophizing at the Bedside....Pages 277-284 Back Matter....Pages 285-290