1: Med Hypotheses. 2001 Aug;57(2):243-8. |
Cancer and metaphysics.
Zajicek G.
Experimental Medicine and Cancer Research, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem. gzajicek@what-is-cancer.com
Metaphysics, is generally a pleasant, and harmless intellectual endeavor. Even
if leading to wrong conclusions, nobody is hurt. Suppose that contrary to
general belief, the Big Bang (1) never happened and the world is eternal. No
harm is done. Some philosophers, like Kant, enjoyed life despite the fact that,
nature, or the thing in itself, eluded their understanding (2). But suppose
that the thing in itself is your patient, and you apply metaphysical reasoning
for his treatment, metaphysics may occasionally be damaging. This is
particularly pertinent to cancer, a disease that is haunted by false
metaphysical statements.Since cancer is part of medicine, the present discourse
deals with medical metaphysics. Medicine provides a simple way, or rule of
thumb, for distinguishing between correct and wrong medical metaphysical
statements. If they harm the patient, they are wrong, and if they aid him, they
are correct. Statements that do not affect a patient's well being, e.g., 'Big
Bang may be hazardous to your health', are of no apparent value and doubtful.
Since treatment outcome is generally uncertain, the physician continually
searches for new ideas that may aid his patient, even if they are metaphysical.
In diseases, like cancer, that elude his understanding, his adherence to
metaphysics intensifies, and he is ready to consider even doubtful suggestions
for treatment. Yet by relaxing the rules of thumb for evaluating metaphysical
concepts, he gradually slips into the irrational domain. Copyright 2001
Harcourt Publishers Ltd.
PMID: 11461182 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]