How Much Longer Must Medicine's Science
Be Bound By A Seventeenth Century World View?

This section is compiled by Frank M. Painter, D.C.
Send all comments or additions to:    Frankp@chiro.org

FROM:   Psychother Psychosom. 1992; 57 (1-2): 3-16

Engel GL.

Department of Psychiatry,
University of Rochester School of Medicine, N.Y. 14618

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The exclusion of nonmaterial human phenomena mandated by medical science's continuing allegiance to a 17th century scientific world view has constituted a major obstacle to medicine's scientific maturation as a human discipline. But 20th century conceptual changes even in physics (not to mention the influence of the theory of evolution) now renders that exclusion untenable and in effect legitimizes efforts to devise scientific means appropriate for the human domain. Practical as well as theoretical issues involved in such an undertaking are discussed within the framework of a 20th century scientific world view as represented by the biopsychosocial model, a counterpart to the traditional biomedical model.

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