Means, Ends and Medical Care

by H.G. Wright, Ph.D., M.D. ’70 (Springer) The author uses the conceptual tools of cognitive science to analyze and critique some of the most basic concepts of contemporary medical care. By uncovering the complex internal structure of human concepts of health and disease, Wright shows the error of assuming that professionals always understand in advance the medical and moral ends involved in any medical situation. The result of this alternative view of mind and medical judgment is a model for reasoning that, although not specifiable by a set of fixed rules, can give realistic guidance for medical decision making.